Mid-Atlantic snow storm cancels flights at Tampa International Airport

A powerful winter storm bearing down on mid-Atlantic states disrupted air travel from the Tampa Bay area Friday.

Airlines canceled 17 departing and arriving flights at Tampa International Airport from 12:30 p.m. today through Saturday morning, said spokeswoman Christine Osborn. Southwest Airlines scratched a dozen flights, including eight departures to Philadelphia and Baltimore and four arrivals from those cities.

United and US Airways canceled a total of five departures from Washington area airports and two arrivals from the area.

Travelers should check with their airline before leaving for the airport — even if they aren't flying into areas hit by the storm, said Osborn.

The blizzard will likely cause disruptions that will cascade through airline schedules into Saturday.

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3384