Inclement Weather Information

Operating Status and Local Information

Safety Tips

  • Wear multiple layers of clothing under a warm jacket, gloves, a scarf, and a hat that covers your ears. Avoid footwear with hard leather soles. Soft rubber-soled shoes or boots are better on slick and slushy surfaces.
  • When walking across campus, stay on plowed and treated sidewalks. Avoid walking on roadsides and through parking lots, especially between parked cars where ice patches may remain.
  • Before crossing a street, make eye contact with any approaching drivers to ensure that they see you.
  • Taking the campus shuttle bus is always a good idea in bad weather.
  • When driving, keep well behind trucks spreading salt or sand. Spreader trucks often back up; if you are too close, the driver may not see you.
  • Give yourself extra time to get where you want to go, whether driving to work or walking across campus.
  • Remember — thinking ahead and being prepared will give you the best chance of having a safe and enjoyable winter season.

Preparing Your Car for Winter Weather

  • Make sure your battery is relatively new and fully charged.
  • Check your tires for a good amount of remaining tread life.
  • Inspect your windshield wiper blades — they should be replaced yearly.
  • Make sure your wiper fluid level is topped off with fluid that will not freeze.
  • Always have available a sturdy ice scraper, preferably with a broom attachment, to clear ice and snow from all windows, hood, and roof.
  • Carry in your trunk a blanket, extra gloves, jumper cables, and a bag of kitty litter for traction under spinning tires.

This page last reviewed on October 23, 2023