Strong winds and microbursts around Denver International Airport caused the delay and cancellation of some flights Wednesday afternoon and evening.
United Airlines cancelled about 60 flights in the afternoon and evening, a spokesman for the airline said.
Other airlines with reported cancellations included Frontier and American, DIA spokesman Chuck Cannon said.
Strong winds that kicked up in the afternoon and reports of microbursts caused delays of about five minutes, at first. Around 3:45, a longer hold of about 40 minutes was put on all flights because of the strong winds, Cannon said.
By 4:30 p.m., winds began dying down at the airport and service was returning to normal, Cannon said.
Travelers were urged to check with their airlines to ensure their flights were on time.
Strong winds in the metro area are expected to whip up through the night into Thursday morning, with some hurricane-force gusts likely.
Denver and the surrounding suburbs will feel gusts of up to 40 mph through this evening. But the foothills, from Fort Collins south through Evergreen, could see sustained winds of up to 50 mph, with gusts up to 75 to 80 mph, according to the National Weather Service. A hurricane has sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The winds will come from the northwest, blowing southeast. Drivers traveling north-south, such on Interstate 25 and Colorado 93 between Boulder and Golden, should be careful because of cross winds and flying debris. Power lines and trees could fall.
The NWS has issued high-wind warnings for the Front Range from Wyoming south to Colorado Springs. The warnings are in effect until noon Thursday.
Thursday’s temperatures will remain in the 60s, gradually warming into the 70s for the weekend.
