Heavy snow shuts down Kansas City International Airport

Kansas City International Airport has shut down due to heavy snows and officials don’t know when it will reopen.

The airport shut down shortly before 10 a.m. That move came after most of the flights were canceled by 9:30 a.m. today.

As of 9:30 a.m., 125 flights were canceled — 74 percent of the scheduled flights — according to FlyKCI.Com, which uses data updated by the airlines.

“There have been very many cancelations and we may see more,” said Joe McBride, a spokesman for the airport said at the time..

A little more than a dozen flights departed by 9:15 a.m., according to FlyKCI.Com

Travelers should check with their airlines and the airport’s website for the status of their flights, McBride said.

One of the challenges the airport is facing is that the wind is blowing out of the east. That means the airport must use its east-west runway.

Typically in winter, the wind blows out of the north. KCI has two north-south runways that run parallel. That allows crews to clear one runway while the other one is in use.

If the wind doesn’t shift, at some point KCI will temporarily have to close so crews can clear the east-west runway, McBride said.

Passengers affected by canceled flights should work with them to reschedule their flights.