BLOOMINGTON - Carol Mielke and Jan Pafford enjoyed their coffee and conversation Friday morning like old friends. But Mielke, of Forsyth, and Pafford, of Mahomet, actually were strangers - stranded airline passengers sharing a table at Bevande cafe in the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington.

Like others in the area, the would-be air travelers had been grounded after 6 to 10 or more inches of snow plastered the area Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. The two had met on a Friday morning shuttle ride from Baymont Inn, where each had stayed the night before.

"They tried to get me out on a flight last night. But about 5:30 they said there was no way, so I started to look for a hotel room," said Mielke, who hoped to reach her daughter's Tampa, Fla., home in time for a Super Bowl party Sunday.

The snowstorm, which airport spokeswoman Fran Strebing called one of the worst she's seen, led to nearly all the airport's inbound and outbound flights being canceled Thursday night and Friday morning. By 12:30 p.m. Friday, air service was beginning again, she said.

The storm hit during a busy time - when many of the Twin Cities' estimated 3,000 hotel rooms already were occupied by groups of cheerleaders.

The Illinois High School Association's state finals were scheduled for Friday and today, though the severe weather caused officials to cancel Friday events and condense finals into a one-day competition today at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

"I called the Holiday Inn. But it was full, so was the Clarion. I was lucky on the third call," said Mielke, of her Thursday night delay.

Pafford's flight wasn't scheduled until Friday morning, but her husband had driven her from Mahomet on Thursday afternoon to stay ahead of the storm. She was planning a bird-watching trip with her sister in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Around noon Friday, she gave up as her flight was delayed again and decided to wait and try another flight Saturday.

The Holiday Inn, across from the airport on Empire Street, was bustling Friday morning. Pockets of cheerleader groups, business conference attendees, and others filled the halls.

J. Buck's restaurant, attached to the hotel, served nearly triple its normal breakfast crowd, said assistant manager Cameron Brooks. Server Jason Schultz said some diners shared stories about canceled flights and being stranded by the storm.

Holiday Inn manager Michelle Becher said the severe weather created a situation that took care of itself: Last-minute room requests were put on a standby list, but most were granted rooms as other cancellations came in from people prevented from reaching the Twin Cities.

Hotel professionals throughout the community reported a similar pattern.

"There's been fluctuation to the usual flow," said Phillip Clark, who works at the front desk for Hampton Inn in Normal.

"We do have a lot of the cheerleaders here, multiple schools I think. But there have been a lot of cancellations too. So it's worked out," he said.