Why your flight might get cancelled because of snow in the UK but you’d still be able to fly back from colder countries
SNOWFALL often causes problems for people at airports, with several different issues arising from the cold weather.
Ice and snowfall can create difficult conditions at airports, including low visibility, skidding on the runway, and delays in loading luggage into the hold.
But some countries are better equipped to deal with snowfall than the UK.
One of those places is Finland, where snow is cleared off runways and planes are de-iced in 15 minutes.
According to, staff members who work at airports in Finland are more experienced when it comes to managing and clearing snowfall.
This experience allows staff to expertly clear snow from airports, while staff at airports in warmer countries might struggle more in harsh conditions.
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But this isn't the only reason some countries can keep planes moving in the winter.
Despite what holidaymakers may believe, the colder temperatures aid the removal of snow in countries like Finland.
This is because consistently low temperatures, which sit below freezing, keep the snow drier and firmer, making it easier to sweep or blow the snow away.
Whereas wet snow, which is often experienced by airports in central Europe, tends to turn into slush and ice and is harder to clear.
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Andrew Ward, who worked as a Met Office meteorologist at Heathrow for 11 years, also agreed with the differences between wet and dry snow.
He told Sun Online Travel: "The way that the UK suffers when it snows is due to the type of snow we get.
"There are two different types of snow - dry and wet. Canada has dry snow, which doesn’t linger and it can be blown away easily.
"But we have wet snow in the UK, with a lot more moisture in it and that’s what causes disruptions.
"Wet snow is more of a problem as it turns to slush and ice, which is more difficult to clear than dry snow that can be easily blown or swept away.
"It makes it harder to keep the airport running smooth as there are additional hazards of ice, and aircraft need de-icing."
Freezing rain, which is when supercooled water freezes on impact, can also create problems.
A spokesperson for Finavia, the company responsible for maintaining Finland's airports told Euronews Travel: "When supercooled water rains on a runway or on the surface of an airplane, it freezes immediately.
"You can see the same phenomenon on your car's windshield in winter."
According to the expert, this can create "challenging elements" for airport staff, with runways and planes needing to be de-iced within 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, we've revealed how to tell if your flight is going to get cancelled because of snowy conditions this winter.
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Here's how you can get a refund or compensation on other flights.
And consumer expert Martin Lewis revealed what to do if your flight is grounded.
