PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia International Airport (search) is back open for business today but officials say few flights are scheduled.
The winter storm that dumped a foot of snow on parts of Pennsylvania shut down the airport for five hours yesterday, stranding about 800 passengers.
The first such closure in nine years started at 3 p.m. after airlines canceled about 80 percent of the flights in and out of Philadelphia.
One main runway was cleared and the airport reopened about 8 p.m.
Airport employees distributed pillows, blankets, disposable diapers and water to about 800 passengers spending the night.
Meanwhile, snow-covered roads are being blamed for several accidents throughout central Pennsylvania this morning. Emergency officials say the wind is making matters worse, causing low visibility in some parts of the area.
Forecasters say there will be occasional snow showers this morning with additional accumulation of about an inch. Wind gusts up to 45 miles an hour will lead to lots of blowing and drifting.
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