Storm leaves over 1,100 people stranded at Denver International Airport

Hundreds of flights to and from Denver International Airport were canceled Tuesday as crews raced to clear heavy snow from runways.

More than 1,100 passengers were forced to spend Monday night at the airport after a major snowstorm hit the Denver metro area, said airport spokeswoman Alex Renteria.

Airport workers handed out blankets, baby formula and diapers, and restaurants stayed open longer than usual, she said.

On Tuesday, more than 475 flights were canceled and numerous flights were delayed after 7 inches of snow fell at the airport, airport and weather officials said.

Crews were using more than 20 pieces of equipment, including snowplows, brooms and sand trucks, to clear and keep the runways open on Tuesday.

More snow is expected as a powerful storm pounding the Rockies with blizzard conditions slowly moves out of Colorado and into the Plains and Upper Midwest.

Twenty-one inches of snow was reported in nearby Boulder, the National Weather Service said.