December 28, 2006: Denver International Airport before and after snowstorm

Undertoad · 12-28-2006, 11:27 AM

Axlrosen suggests this Flickr image created by Flickr user mo.murrey, which was also Boing Boing'd. The "before" shot comes from Google Earth. mo.murrey must have realized that this amazing shot, the "after" shot, could be compared to a "before" shot by looking at it from the right angle.

This was three days ago, and today Colorado is bracing itself for round two... another big storm coming through.

glatt · 12-28-2006, 12:45 PM

I like how the snow in the second picture really gives a depth to the land. For instance, look at the runway (or taxiway) to the left going off into the distance. You can tell that they really had to haul in a lot of dirt to build up that level runway in an area where there are some small valleys. That runway is under construction in the first Google Earth image.

natsdadbentley · 12-28-2006, 02:48 PM

I'm not sure about the 90 degree comment. The image shown here is oriented the same as the linked flickr shot....the "before" picture is different because the airport and the runways were not completed at the time the photo was taken...it was during construction.

barefoot serpent · 12-28-2006, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by natsdadbentley

it was during construction.

yeah, I was wondering where the 'white tent' things were that cover the terminal.

and welcome to The Cellar!

xoxoxoBruce · 12-28-2006, 06:14 PM

I'm amazed there is no activity. Most airports start the snow removal machinery in motion as soon as the runways are covered and continue throughout the storm until everything is operational.

jinx · 12-28-2006, 07:02 PM

Aren't the black areas plowed? If so, that's a good bit of it..

SydneyBoy · 12-28-2006, 07:24 PM

Geez Denver looks pretty brown in the first shot. Didn't realise it was in a desert??

CaliforniaMama · 12-29-2006, 12:38 AM

I was kinda wondering the same thing. Is it surrounded by fields? Or government "no-man's land?"

It is beautiful, though. Glatt echoed my first thought. The snow really makes it look topographical. Very cool.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-29-2006, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx

Aren't the black areas plowed? If so, that's a good bit of it..

The access roads are cleared but they've just started on the runways. Guess that's so the people can get there to wait around.

SPUCK · 12-29-2006, 04:41 AM

I was told that the Denver Airport was 50sq miles.. Sheesh!

glatt · 12-29-2006, 07:54 AM

On the radio this morning, (NPR) there was a very short story that hinted there was a bunch of mismanagement at the airport during this storm. There was confusion between the airport management and the airlines about whose job it was to plow the runways. So the runways weren't plowed for a while. Now, with the second storm coming, they are apparently talking to one another and figuring out who is responsible for what.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-29-2006, 11:05 AM

Ah, thanks glatt. Dat 'splain it.

kerosene · 12-29-2006, 01:31 PM

DIA has been a nightmare with the storms. I knew a lot of people trying to fly and having to wait for an available seat on another flight because theirs were cancelled. When this happened last week, DIA was actually completely shut down for a while...people were camped out there, some for several nights. There were a lot of pissed off travelers.

Denver Post Article about DIA in yesterday's/today's storm

As for Denver being brown, one thing to keep in mind is that DIA is actually on the Eastern outskirts of Denver.

Here are some Google Earth screenshots for reference (notice these were captured pre-snow. Everything does look brown, here, too, but I think some of that is the way Google Earth captures some of its land photos.)

My neck of the woods (or mountains):

DIA is out on the right side of this photo, where Denver is toward the middle. For reference, I included a tag for Golden, where you can see the mountains up next to it:

edit: I hope it was okay to post images in an already started IOTD thread. If not, I am sorry. Let me know.

CaliforniaMama · 12-29-2006, 01:32 PM

Gee, you'd think it would be in the best interests of both parties to get it cleared, but no, they are probably busy talking about who is going to pay.

Meanwhile, it is costing both of them butt loads.

Sheesh.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-29-2006, 02:48 PM

And screwing up the whole country. There is something like 6,000 commercial aircraft making 30,000 domestic flights every day. It's all interdependant and one airport closing impacts the big jigsaw puzzle.
Also, at the end of the day, all the planes have to be where they're suppose to be or it impacts the next day too.

12-28-2006, 11:27 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	December 28, 2006: Denver International Airport before and after snowstorm Axlrosen suggests this Flickr image created by Flickr user mo.murrey, which was also Boing Boing'd. The "before" shot comes from Google Earth. mo.murrey must have realized that this amazing shot, the "after" shot, could be compared to a "before" shot by looking at it from the right angle. This was three days ago, and today Colorado is bracing itself for round two... another big storm coming through.

12-28-2006, 06:14 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I'm amazed there is no activity. Most airports start the snow removal machinery in motion as soon as the runways are covered and continue throughout the storm until everything is operational. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

12-28-2006, 07:02 PM	#6
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Aren't the black areas plowed? If so, that's a good bit of it.. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

12-28-2006, 07:24 PM	#7
SydneyBoy Pithy Euphemist Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19	Geez Denver looks pretty brown in the first shot. Didn't realise it was in a desert?? __________________ At night rave near the guard's compartment naked with a blue light.

12-29-2006, 12:38 AM	#8
CaliforniaMama I wonder . . . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Left Coast, a pretty good place to be. Posts: 1,278	I was kinda wondering the same thing. Is it surrounded by fields? Or government "no-man's land?" It is beautiful, though. Glatt echoed my first thought. The snow really makes it look topographical. Very cool. __________________ Take time for silence. You never know what you might hear.

12-28-2006, 12:45 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I like how the snow in the second picture really gives a depth to the land. For instance, look at the runway (or taxiway) to the left going off into the distance. You can tell that they really had to haul in a lot of dirt to build up that level runway in an area where there are some small valleys. That runway is under construction in the first Google Earth image.

12-28-2006, 02:48 PM	#3
natsdadbentley Kinda New Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1	I'm not sure about the 90 degree comment. The image shown here is oriented the same as the linked flickr shot....the "before" picture is different because the airport and the runways were not completed at the time the photo was taken...it was during construction.

12-29-2006, 04:41 AM	#10
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	I was told that the Denver Airport was 50sq miles.. Sheesh!

12-29-2006, 07:54 AM	#11
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	On the radio this morning, (NPR) there was a very short story that hinted there was a bunch of mismanagement at the airport during this storm. There was confusion between the airport management and the airlines about whose job it was to plow the runways. So the runways weren't plowed for a while. Now, with the second storm coming, they are apparently talking to one another and figuring out who is responsible for what.

12-29-2006, 11:05 AM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Ah, thanks glatt. Dat 'splain it. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

12-29-2006, 01:31 PM	#13
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	DIA has been a nightmare with the storms. I knew a lot of people trying to fly and having to wait for an available seat on another flight because theirs were cancelled. When this happened last week, DIA was actually completely shut down for a while...people were camped out there, some for several nights. There were a lot of pissed off travelers. Denver Post Article about DIA in yesterday's/today's storm As for Denver being brown, one thing to keep in mind is that DIA is actually on the Eastern outskirts of Denver. Here are some Google Earth screenshots for reference (notice these were captured pre-snow. Everything does look brown, here, too, but I think some of that is the way Google Earth captures some of its land photos.) My neck of the woods (or mountains): DIA is out on the right side of this photo, where Denver is toward the middle. For reference, I included a tag for Golden, where you can see the mountains up next to it: edit: I hope it was okay to post images in an already started IOTD thread. If not, I am sorry. Let me know.

12-29-2006, 01:32 PM	#14
CaliforniaMama I wonder . . . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Left Coast, a pretty good place to be. Posts: 1,278	Gee, you'd think it would be in the best interests of both parties to get it cleared, but no, they are probably busy talking about who is going to pay. Meanwhile, it is costing both of them butt loads. Sheesh. __________________ Take time for silence. You never know what you might hear.

12-29-2006, 02:48 PM	#15
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	And screwing up the whole country. There is something like 6,000 commercial aircraft making 30,000 domestic flights every day. It's all interdependant and one airport closing impacts the big jigsaw puzzle. Also, at the end of the day, all the planes have to be where they're suppose to be or it impacts the next day too. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

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