Strong winds force 'unusual runway use' at MSP Airport

The strong winds seen in the Twin Cities Thursday morning forced Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to switch up its runway routine.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission said that because of winds coming out of the southwest, which has been blowing around 25 mph with gusts exceeding 45 mph, it has been using Runway 22 for both takeoffs and landings.

Runway 22 is a lesser used runway at MSP. In the picture below it's the one that runs southwest to northeast.

Takeoffs and landings at MSP most commonly happen from the parallel runways 12L/30L and 12R/30R.

But as MAC explains, air traffic controllers assign runways that provide the greatest amount of headwind for takeoffs and landings, especially when winds exceed 10 mph.

With the wind coming from the southwest, landing planes have been approaching Runway 22 from the northeast, and taking off to the southwest. It's causing dozens of delays as a result.

MAC says that Air Traffic Control will transition to 30L/30R "as soon as the winds allow."