Unless you began hibernating early (and I wouldn’t blame you) you are likely aware that weather forecasters are predicting a huge dump of snow for the area. Between 10 -25 cm is expected to fly Thursday through Friday!

The Grounds department is prepping its snow clearing equipment so that everything is ready to roll when the snow arrives on campus. In addition, the Grounds crew is checking the forecast every hour to ensure they are up to date on what’s headed our way.

The Grounds department snow removal procedure lists clearing main pathways as the first priority to allow pedestrians to access the University. Once the walkways are done, workers then attend to the parking lots.

Crews will be out Thursday morning starting at 5 a.m. for their usual shift, but should the snow come on heavier than predicted Grounds will begin clearing campus earlier.

Most of the snow is expected to fall during the day tomorrow, and if the conditions are right, the parking lots should be plowed overnight Thursday.

However, Mother Nature can be unpredictable and we can’t be totally prepared for what she decides to throws at us. Last month’s out-of-the-ordinary snowfall is a good example of that.

The wet, heavy snow made it difficult for crews to clear as quickly as they would have liked. By the time they were finished the sidewalks and roadways, people began to arrive on campus and it wasn’t feasible to begin plowing the parking lots with cars randomly scattered about.

While the department will work diligently to ensure campus is safe to walk around, everyone should be extra cautious when walking outside during inclement weather. Please obey all signage at path closures. They are blocked off for safety reasons and will reopen once workers have time to clear the area.

To report snow or ice concerns call the Facilities Service Desk at 403-329-2602.