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Strong Winds Cause 600 Las Vegas Flight Delays
On Sunday, over 600 flights departing from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas were delayed due to high winds. A recorded 716 outbound and inbound flights were delayed at the airport, with an additional eight flights being canceled, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. The delays were caused by winds measured between 35 and 45 mph, with gusts reaching over 50 mph, as reported by the National Weather Service. The wind speeds caused outbound passengers to face a delay of up to 165 minutes, as per the Federal Aviation Administration.
The mass delays affected many attendees of the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, which drew in an estimated 100,000 visitors over the weekend. It was predicted that 98,000 passengers would depart from the airport following the race, causing a large volume of traffic and resulting in further delays at the airport, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In addition to the wind-related flight delays, dust storms caused the temporary closure of Interstate 15 South near Primm, Nev. and Stateline, Nev. on Sunday afternoon, with visibility dropping to near zero at certain points. The National Weather Service issued a dust storm warning for areas between Primm and Mountain Pass, advising against travel in the region.
The airport connector to Harry Reid Airport was also shut down on Saturday following a three-vehicle crash, resulting in minor injuries. One of the northbound lanes was reopened at 11:15 p.m. Saturday, causing extra travel time for passengers. A motorist believed to have caused the crash fled the scene, as reported by local law enforcement.