Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Monday in anticipation of a winter storm. Precipitation was projected to blanket some parts of the commonwealth with more than a foot of snow Monday evening through Tuesday morning.
Both the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia State Police advised residents to stay off roads until the storm ended. The major roads in Central Virginia were declared free of snow Tuesday at 4 p.m., but the Virginia Department of Transportation said the remaining slush is likely to refreeze overnight and cause problems for motorists through Wednesday morning.
The inclement weather prompted Virginia Tech to cancel classes from 12:00 p.m. Monday to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, James Madison University to cancel classes after 2:15 p.m. Monday and all-day Tuesday and Charlottesville City schools to close starting from 12 p.m. Monday and reopen Wednesday.
University spokesperson Matthew Charles said the University adjusted its operating schedule as well based on student safety concerns.
“Student safety is our top priority,” Charles said. “A team of professionals convened to evaluate the deteriorating weather conditions. At 4:30 p.m. Monday a decision was made to cancel classes starting at 6 p.m. and after. A follow-up call was held later Monday evening, with the decision to start classes Tuesday at 11 a.m.”
Some professors, such as Statistics Prof. Gretchen Martinet, cancelled Tuesday classes anyway because they did not think they would be able to safely travel to Grounds on time.
That all classes were not cancelled Tuesday came as a surprise to many students, such as third-year Engineering student Evan Bruskin, who were hoping for a snow day.
“I was anticipating a snow day because based on the amount of snow I had to walk through to get home last night,” Bruskin said. “Assuming the snow was going to continue through the night, I thought that we would have the day off for sure. Originally, I was shocked to hear that we would have school today, but when I woke up most of the snow was cleared. In my opinion, the administration made the right choice.”
Fourth-year Engineering student Mark Schierling said he did not have high hopes for a snow day, but that he would have enjoyed one nonetheless.
“Snow days are particularly fun at U.Va.,” Schierling said. “What is probably most enjoyable is going out onto the Lawn and seeing all the crazy things going on. Whether its massive snowball fights or skiing down the Rotunda steps, the Lawn offers many great opportunities for people to both watch and participate in the fun.”
Although classes were not cancelled for the entire day, many students still enjoyed the 5.5 inches of snowfall.
First-year College student Jack Armstrong, a member of the Outdoors Club, said students used the club’s equipment for winter excursions.
“With the news of the snow, many of the members took the chance to check out the club's cross country skis and snowshoes,” Armstrong said. “Don't be surprised if you see anyone trekking across the Mad Bowl or the Lawn. There are currently two trips out as well. One group has gone to Wintergreen to ski this afternoon, and the other has gone cross country skiing on the Rivanna trail system that you can pick up behind O'Hill.”
Armstrong led a group of outdoors club members on a tour of snowball battlefields through grounds.
“‘The Snowball Tour’ last night was quite fun though chilly after a while,” Armstrong said. “Unfortunately, news of the class schedule came out right beforehand. While some people were deterred by the news, we still made the most of it, traveling from the Chapel to the range alleys and finishing on the Lawn where the other larger snowball fight that started around 12 [a.m.].”
Second-year College student Ayaan Alam organized the midnight snowball fight on the Lawn.
“The main reason for the event was just to have fun,” Alam said. “It's been a tough couple of semesters for the university and this was the first major snowfall. A couple of friends and I felt that it was time to have a little bit of fun.”
First-year Elena Hurtado said participating in the snowball fight was one of her favorite U.Va memories so far.
“It was a great experience and I’m glad I went,” Hurtado said. “I had a great time with my friends.”
Other students, such as first-year Engineering student Lauren Hornsby, went sledding between classes on Tuesday.
“My hometown is Virginia Beach, and we don’t have much snow or many hills,” Hornsby said. “I’m taking advantage of the terrain here.”
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