March 1 (UPI) -- The monster winter storm known as the "Beast of the East" continued to pound Europe Thursday, forcing a Switzerland airport to close for a time.
Heavy snow fell on Geneva Airport, shutting down operations for hours as crews used plows to clear the runways.
After reopening, the airport warned of further delays and urged passengers to check schedules to see the status of their flights.
Zurich Airport remained open, starting Thursday with only a few delays amid weather conditions that also hindered other services across Switzerland.
Tram lines in Zurich were disrupted, train service was slowed in Vaud -- and several crashes piled up on roadways connecting the capital of Bern and the town of Thun, and Zurich and St. Gallen in the northeast.
Switzerland has seen unusually cold temperatures this week as the "Beast from the East" gripped Britain, causing as many as two dozen deaths and pushing icy conditions as far south as the Mediterranean.
#GeneveAeroport is now open to traffic (Arrivals and Departures)! Delays and cancellations are expected throughout the day. We recommend the passengers to contact their airline to know their flght status.
- Genève Aéroport (@GeneveAeroport) March 1, 2018
