Hundreds of travellers flying out of the Edmonton International Airport experienced delays Sunday after weather conditions kept planes on the ground and caused others to divert to Calgary.
Spokesperson Sarah Meffen estimates up to a dozen flights were affected, with waits kept to about one to three hours.
The problem, she says, was a sudden rise in temperature.
"When the weather warms up and then cools down again, and there's a cold wind blowing, we have ice conditions on the runway that need to be cleared and that requires a lot more effort and operational expertise…than normal.
"We appreciate everybody's patience and understand that we're taking the extra precautions to ensure safety and it's always better to do that than to try to risk rushing through."
Meffen says delays were minimized by early afternoon, thanks in large part to a drop in temperature.
Travellers are still advised to check their airline's website before heading out and to allot extra time to get to the airport because Hwy 2 is said to be in poor condition.
For a look at current delays, click here.
