Airports
Record Snowfall Leaves More Gulf Coast Airports Reeling
Unexpected blizzard strikes locations without snow handling options
Pensacola airport FBO in snow
Unexpected record snowfall in Florida's panhandle left airports and FBOs there searching for answers. The storm paralyzed airports across the entire Gulf Coast region and as far as South Carolina. © Christopher Adamson/Pensacola Aviation Center

The major snowstorm that blanketed the Texas Gulf Coast yesterday swept eastward overnight, leaving Florida and Georgia airports covered under up to eight inches of snow. Across the Gulf Coast, numerous airports were forced to close due to the record snowfall.

Like most communities in the region where 60 degrees F is considered cold, Pensacola was hampered by a lack of snow-removal equipment. The city imported five snowplows from Atlanta, but those were being used solely to clear roadways, leaving Pensacola International Airport (KPNS) under 7.6 inches of snow and expected to remain closed until at least noon tomorrow.

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