Time: 8:05pm local
Position: Number 3 in line for runway 12R in MSP
1.5 hours earlier...
It's still snowing, and it has been for a few hours. I arrived at 6:45pm to a cold plane covered in snow and ice. Four inches of snow covered the ground as I checked the outside of the plane for any abnormalities. No issues. We push off the gate 10 minutes early, at 7:25pm, heading to the de-ice pad next to runway 12L to get cleaned off and de-iced. Surprisingly, not much of a line ahead of us... shouldn't be too late! With the current temperature and precipitation level, we have 40 minutes to get to the runway and takeoff. Shouldn't be a problem, right?
Wrong.
Just as we finished our checklists to taxi for takeoff, ground control advises us that 12L has just closed for snow removal. Taxi to runway 12R. Ok. No problem, we have 40 minutes.
35 minutes later... number 2 in line for 12R.
Tower tells us that 12R is now closed for snow removal, taxi to 12L. (Are you kidding me?!).
Us: "We have 5 minutes to be airborne, how's the line look?"
Tower: "Uhh.. not good."
Us: "Ok. We need to return to the 12L de-ice pad."
9:21 pm. After de-icing a second time, we luck out and are number one for 12L after it reopened. 2 hours and 2,000lbs of gas later, we're on our way to Richmond, VA...
7:00am local. FL360. Westbound to MSP, where it is still snowing but is forecast to clear up by the time we arrive.
