The heaviest snowfall of the year so far led to canceled classes for the third time in two weeks.
Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Duke announced that all classes during the day Thursday would be canceled, with the Severe Weather and Emergency Conditions policy in effect from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. A decision on evening classes will be made later Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Durham from 6 p.m. Wednesday to noon Thursday. Snow began falling at approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, with nighttime accumulation predicted to be anywhere between 5 and 9 inches. An additional one to two inches are expected Thursday morning.
Buses and vans stopped running at 10 p.m. Wednesday, and a number of eateries and campus facilities announced Thursday closures—including Twinnie's, Blue Express, Saladelia Cafe at the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Rubenstein Library.
Duke had been monitoring the forecast for several days in anticipation of the snowfall, Vice President for Administration Kyle Cavanaugh said.
Representatives from facilities management, parking and transportation services, residential life, Duke Police and the Duke University Health System collaborate on the decision to enact the weather policy—which requires all essential operations to remain open but allows for the closure or cancellation of all others.
Provost Sally Kornbluth is responsible for the decision to cancel classes.
Much of North Carolina was hit by the storm, though the Piedmont region took the biggest hit. Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning, emphasizing the need for drivers to stay off the roads when at all possible.
“We hope to be overprepared and underwhelmed by the weather, but we are anticipating the worst,” he said in a press conference.
An inch of snow last week led to canceled classes Feb. 17, and classes were canceled Wednesday morning due to a dusting of snow and the threat of ice.
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