Isn't it about time someone recognised that airports such as LHR and LGW are not just commercial enterprises but also a fundamental part of the economy of the UK.
The airport should plan for and be legally required to have sufficient snow clearing equipment and materials available to keep the airport open in the most severe of winter weather. The fact that it would be little used in 9 out of 10 years is irrelevant.
It is a fact that closing an airport actually makes operating more difficult as aircraft remain on stands causing additional problems in clearing them. They must work on keeping runways, taxiways and stands open by having the equipment available to keep the snow at manageable levels.
We have all flown into airports such as Munich and Zürich where conditions are worse than that experienced on the day at LHR yet the airports remained open. The reality is that simply remaining open and aircraft arriving and departing does much to reduce the amount of snow on the movement areas.
Possibly the biggest mistake was BA announcing that they were cancelling their flights on Saturday, it they hadn't it would have forced BAA to keep their clearing efforts at full strength. It would also have vacated stands and allowed them to be cleared.