Strong winds cause delays at MSP Airport

Image 1 of 2

After a Christmas Day storm that brought heavy rain and thunder to the Twin Cities and much of Southern Minnesota, Monday will feature a big drop in temperatures and high winds until at least sunset.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect for the Twin Cities until 3 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service had overnight wind gust reports at 50mph in Bloomington, 55mph in St. Cloud and a 60mph gust in Victoria.

The high winds are causing major delays at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for post-Christmas travelers. MAC spokesperson Pat Hogan reports MSP is down to one “cross wind” runway due to the sustained winds, and that will continue into the afternoon. FlightAware listed nearly 50 delays by 7 a.m., and the list was growing as the day moved on. Two hour delays are most common, but check with your airline for specifics.

Runway 422 is the only runway open at MSP right now. It’s a diagonal runway, running SW to NE. It’s only used 1 percent of the time, according to Hogan, and it’s reserved for severe weather situations.

“Eventually, by this evening, the wind should change directions enough to allow the airport to open the other runway.” FOX 9 Meteorologist Cody Matz said Monday morning.

High winds may also been a factor in a semi-rollover on Highway 169 at Highway 610 in the northwest metro. No one was injured, but the semi remained on the side of the roadway for several hours while authorities brought in a crane to raise the semi upright.

Conditions are worse in the Dakotas, due to heavy snow with the wind. NDDOT has closed Interstate 94 from Fargo to the Montana border.