A student walks across campus on February 8th, 2017 during a snowstorm. (Jason Jiang/The Daily Campus)
Rain combined with freezing temperatures Tuesday morning caused icy sidewalks and roads at the University of Connecticut.
The university did not delay classes but many students noticed the sidewalks around campus were slippery.
Areas near the Chemistry building, Wilbur Cross and Homer Babbidge Library were noticeably icy in the morning.
Tom Sawtelle, a fourth-semester commuter, said he didn’t have much trouble commuting to classes due to living only approximately two miles away.
“I did see some ice on the sides of the roadways as I came in today for my 8 a.m. class,” said Sawtelle. “I did notice a fair amount of ice accumulating on my car.”
“My 9:30 a.m. class was cancelled because my professor couldn’t make it to campus on account of the icy conditions,” said Harrison Zraly, a fourth-semester student.
“Weather like snow or ice typically adds 10-15 minutes to my already 19 minute drive,” said Shawn Sweeney, an eighth-semester commuter. “The worst really is commuting home in a storm during rush hour. I’ve had the ride take around 45 minutes.”
Many students expressed that today’s road conditions were not so bad compared to past winters here at UConn.
UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said the university took the necessary precautions to prepare for the winter weather.
“The snow and ice crews from facilities were on top of the icing across all campuses,” Reitz said. “With the rain and the fluctuating temperatures right on the freezing mark, the teams were laying down ice-melting chemicals as necessary.”
A winter weather advisory was put in place by the National Weather Service from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
A winter weather advisory is issued by the National Weather Service when snow, sleet or freezing rain is “expected to cause a significant inconvenience, but not serious enough to warrant a warning,” according to the NWS website. A warning is issued when weather is “significant and hazardous.”
According to NBC Connecticut, a heavy snowstorm is expected to hit Thursday morning. A First Alert has been issued. Meteorologists are forecasting 6 to 12 inches of snow.
“The storm will start in the early morning hours with the heaviest between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Snow will wind down by the evening commute,” according to NBC Connecticut.
Emma DeGrandi is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at emma.degrandi@uconn.edu.
Schae Beaudoin is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached by email at schae.beaudoin@uconn.edu.