BOZEMAN — As temperatures are expected to reach nearly 35 degrees below zero, we’re checking in on operations at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
"I think after last year we’re a little bit more prepared this year going into the cold, especially these more extreme cold temperatures," says Brian Sprenger, airport president and CEO.
He explains that airlines are doing their best to prepare for coming temperatures.
"They’re looking at pre-canceling if need be. So that they don’t have an aircraft that would be here for hours, when they could just leave it in their hub and bring it out just before departure," Sprenger says.
I took a ride out to the airport runway, to see how employees de-ice planes before takeoff, and Sprenger says, "The bigger challenge with these cold temperatures, is everything becomes harder to do."
"If you had a squall come through in the middle of the night, so you have some snow on the wings when the morning starts, well then, you’d need to get that snow off with de-icing fluid."
But if temperatures reach below negative 22 degrees, de-icing becomes ineffective, and airlines may have to wait for warmer take-off temperatures.
Despite extreme weather, Sprenger says travelers are not dismayed, with daily arrivals continuing to reach over 2 million total people per year.
"You know, as we see more snow in the mountains and the valleys, we’re continuing to see people come in for vacations for those purposes," he says.
Travelers should be prepared for delays and extreme sub-zero temperatures.
