The University cancelled classes yesterday for the first time since the early 1980s after over 10 inches of snow blanketed Charlottesville this weekend.
Leonard W. Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer, made the decision to cancel classes at 5:45 p.m. Sunday.
"It was a combination of the snow yesterday afternoon and knowing that more was coming," University Spokesperson Carol Wood said. "It was clear by yesterday afternoon" that facilities management could not remove all the snow by Monday morning.
Essential University staff, including medical personnel and University Police, still reported to work yesterday.
The University last closed due to weather for three days in January 1996 during winter break, when no classes were in session.
The weekend's snow interrupted many activities in the region, causing problems for area residents.
University Transportation Services stopped running buses late Saturday evening and reopened with a limited route yesterday afternoon. UTS announced yesterday that they will likely resume full service this morning.
Fire department officials said the snow this weekend led to motor vehicle accidents and broken waterlines.
"The main problem with the weather was the inability to get around," said Jeff Garrison, Charlottesville Fire Department battalion chief. "People have used their heads and acted fairly responsibly about transportation."
Newcomb Hall, Alderman Road Dorms and Observatory Hill Dining Hall all experienced power outages on Sunday due to snow accumulation on transformers. Power was restored within a few hours.
Student Health, the University Medical Center, dining halls and the libraries all stayed open, though some operated on limited schedules.
Nurses slept overnight in the hospital to ensure an adequate number of staff would be present.
University libraries remained open most of the weekend, closing at midnight Sunday but reopening on schedule yesterday morning.
"We consider it a really high priority to keep the libraries open," University Librarian Carin Wittenborg said. The libraries have designated employees who are able to come in on snow days.
"It's busy here today," she added.
The burden of the snow cleanup on Grounds falls on Facilities Management, especially the landscaping division. Facilities Management employees began plowing and snow-blowing Saturday afternoon and worked round the clock until midnight last night, resuming early this morning.
Around 80 employees were outside clearing snow yesterday, working in 12 to 15 hour shifts and sleeping in rooms rented by Facilities Management at the Cavalier Inn, according to Director of Facilities Management Chris Willis.
"We should be in good shape by [this] afternoon," Willis said.
The priority during snow removal is to keep the hospital open, then to ensure students can safely get to dining halls and recreation facilities, Willis said. Workers first clear the roads and then major sidewalks.
Facilities Management used 100 tons of salt and sand and two tons of calcium chloride to help secure roads and walkways. Maintenance workers operated 13 snowplows, four salt trucks, and cleared sidewalks with 17 snow-blowers.
"This is a bigger than normal storm," Willis said. "We've been working steadily."
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