b'TERMINALSBUF 21never do again,No one is more passionate aboutout their windows to see where they were reflects BUF Airfieldkeeping the airport open than me. But asgoing.Superintendent Joetough as it was to do, we had to closeShortly after 9 a.m. Friday, BUF officials Guarino. The blizzarddown for the safety of our crews and theclosed the 7,160-foot crosswind runway. was relentless, justtraveling public, Guarino explains. SafetyAbout the same time, Guarino told relentless, withis our first and foremost concern. equipment operators to carefully make their blinding snow, windway back to the Operations Center at the chill temperaturesJOE GUARINO From Bad to Worse southwest corner of the airport grounds. down to minus 20Rain switched to snow around 7:40 a.m. onThey were instructed to notify him when degrees and steady winds at 40 to 50Friday, and conditions deteriorated quickly.they arrived, so he could make sure all miles per hour, with gusts up to 72 milesBy around 9 a.m., visibility was so bad thatoperators out on the airfield were safely per hour. Guarino literally could not see his handsindoors.We always feel we can handle justin front of his face while out on the airfield with his crews, trying to keep the airportsWhile driving, they had to maintain about anything Mother Nature throws atsituational awareness via two-way radios us, he continues, noting that BUF has8,829-foot main runway clear.because they couldnt see each other, never shut down for more than a fewOur equipment drivers had a couple ofGuarino says.hours at a time despite annual barrages ofinches of ice on their windshields, even with winter storms fueled by lake-effect snowtheir heaters going full blast, he recalls.Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority surges off Lake Erie.Some operators had to stick their heads(NFTA), which owns and operates BUF, AirportImprovement.comMarch | April 2023'