DENVER - About 600 flights to and from Denver International Airport have been cancelled for Saturday. That's about 30 percent of the normal daily flights.

Airport spokesman Heath Montgomery said 216 of the 1,700 flights had been cancelled as of 7:15 a.m. That number was increased to about 400 at 7:45 a.m. It was increased to 500 at 12:15 p.m and 602 by 5:30 p.m. 

Deicing operations began around 7 a.m., Montgomery said. That means  passengers who do get onto their flights Saturday will spend extra time on the tarmac as the planes go through deicing procedures.

Montgomery added that the snow-removal crews spent the day Friday preparing for the storm, topping off fluids and otherwise preparing their equipment.

Knowing the problems he'd be likely to face Saturday, visitor Patrick Sammon left the area early to return home to Washington.

"I feel very lucky that I'm going to be able to get out town, because I was afraid there were going to be no seats left," he said.

Information about flight delays or cancellations is available at http://FlyDenver.com