While it’s only October, winter came early for the West coast this week as nearly 800 passengers were stranded overnight at Denver International Airport due to a snowstorm.
According to CNN, hundreds of passengers were stuck through the night on Tuesday after the airport canceled 546 flights and delayed 725, Emily Williams, a spokesperson for the airport told the outlet.
Luckily, airport personnel was able to accommodate those who were spending the night by giving out blankets and toiletries.
In only 24 hours, the National Weather Service reported, the airport was hit with 7.7 inches of snow, with nearby areas up to 12 inches.
Despite the clearer weather on Wednesday, the airport had to cancel 21 flights and delay 171 by 15 minutes or more as the storm moved east. Those with flights scheduled Wednesday were told to arrive two hours early in preparation for any changes, CNN added.
As the Denver snow continues its path, CNN predicted Chicago to have a very wintry Halloween Thursday and possible flight disruptions in several Midwest cities.
Colorado experienced its first winter storm earlier this month, with record-breaking temperature drops in Denver on Oct. 10.
On Oct. 9, parts of Colorado had already been hit with up to 6 in. of snow, with 2.1 in. reported in Denver, according to KDVR. The station noted that the average date for the city’s first snowfall is October 18.
The snowfall came as the city recorded its biggest-ever one-and two-day temperature drops in October; on Oct. 9, Denver recorded a high of 83 degrees, before dropping to just 19 degrees by Thursday morning.
Also that morning, 8 in. of snow was reported in Rapid City, South Dakota, while some areas in North Dakota had already seen up to 5.5 in., according to The Weather Channel.
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