Stranded: US says long flight delays on the ground surged in February, some during snow storm

There was a surge in long tarmac delays at the nation's airports in February, including several during a snow storm in Dallas.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday that 16 domestic flights were stuck on the ground for more than three hours and eight international flights were delayed more than four hours in February. Federal rules prohibit airlines from holding planes on the tarmac that long, and the department could issue fines.

The government says nine of the delays happened during a Feb. 27 snow storm at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Overall, 72.8 percent of flights arrived on time in February, down from 76.8 percent in January but up from 70.7 percent the previous February.