College snow days: campus closed for ice, snow, students spend time enjoying the weather
February 16, 2021
Campus closed and students ran into some car troubles as ice covered Bowling Green over the weekend. Although it wasn’t as much as predicted, more snowfall is expected to hit this week due to Winter Storm Uri.
Freshman Grant Patterson, a business finance major from Kingston Springs, Tennessee, had trouble unlocking his truck over the weekend because the lock was frozen.
“After I unlocked my door, I couldn’t open the door because the handle itself was frozen,” Patterson said. “Once I opened the door, I started my truck and couldn’t go because the parking brake was frozen.”
If an ice storm wasn’t bad enough, large snowfall totals are expected throughout the week for a majority of the midwest. Caity Frederick, a junior meteorology major with White Squirrel Weather, said that we could be getting a bit of both.
“With this upcoming winter weather, there is a potential for ice beforehand and then a bunch of snow,” Frederick said. “When you have ice and snow together, that’s when things could get dangerous.”
Frederick said, however, that an ice and snow mix can make roads and sidewalks less slippery than if there was all ice and no snow.
With winter weather being so unpredictable, precautions are necessary to ensure safety during these conditions. Frederick recommends layering up to prevent frostbite or hypothermia, stocking up on food before winter weather events in case of power outages, and being cautious on sidewalks and roads.
“If you don’t have much experience or feel comfortable driving in snow or ice, I would say don’t do it,” Frederick said.
Frederick also advised to watch for spots on the sidewalk that have been cleared of snow because it’s common for ice to be exposed underneath.
On Feb. 14 classes were cancelled and offices were closed for Feb.15-16 due to the impending weather. It began snowing Sunday night and students were seen out in it on Monday.
Winter Storm Uri could have a significant impact on campus over the next week. To stay up to date, visit White Squirrel Weather and the National Weather Service.
