DES MOINES, Iowa —

Only one of Des Moines International Airport’s two runways was in use Saturday night as a winter storm pounded central Iowa, officials said.

The idle runway was not being maintained because of blowing and drifting snow, and when an airplane slid off the active runway , the entire airport was forced to shut down, stranding travelers and upending weekend plans.

Among those caught in the disruption were Alex and Megan Peterson and their young son, who finally touched down in Des Moines on Monday morning.

Their original nonstop flight from Gulf Shores, Alabama, was canceled, Megan Peterson said, forcing the family to improvise.

“We had a canceled flight from Gulf Shores, straight flight from Alabama,” Peterson said. “And so, we had to stay another night in Alabama. An

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