Cornell’s Ithaca and AgriTech campuses will reopen at noon on Monday, after closing at noon on Sunday due to a major winter storm, according to the University’s Office of Emergency Management.
“Classes, exams, events, and activities scheduled to begin after noon [on Monday] will be held as planned,” OEM’s statement read.
The message was also shared via an early Monday morning CornellALERT, which emails all Cornell students, staff and faculty in the case of emergency or hazardous weather, and calls or texts all phone numbers registered with the service.
Crews are still working on clearing roadways, parking lots and sidewalks, so they may be “slippery,” according to OEM. Staff are expected to make a “reasonable effort” to come to campus, according to OEM, but to use their “best judgment” in deciding whether they can safely travel to campus.
This announcement confirms the University’s Saturday decision, which closed Cornell’s Ithaca and AgriTech campuses beginning at noon on Sunday and announced that campuses “will potentially” reopen at noon on Monday, pending a Monday morning confirmation.
The announcement also provides resources for information on the other Student and Campus Life services and TCAT bus operating status.
Some campus dining operations will be closed on Monday due to the weather, according to SCL. SCL recommends students check the Cornell Dining Now page for updates on specific locations.
TCAT will delay its Monday services until 10 a.m. on Monday, due to “poor road conditions.” A list of its Monday routes was published on its website, and TCAT recommends riders check the Bus Tracker or MyStop app for information on specific routes.
Surrounding universities have also adjusted their Monday class schedules for the storm. Ithaca College will run under a “remote operating status” until 11 a.m., which means that all of its classes before 11 a.m. will be virtual. Syracuse University canceled all of its in-person classes for the day, holding them remotely instead.
The Ithaca City School District also adjusted its schedule for next week, canceling all Monday classes for its schools in advance due to the inclement weather.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service declared a winter storm warning in effect until 7 p.m. on Monday, warning that “hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes.” There are currently no active NWS hazardous weather alerts for Ithaca.
In preparation for the storm, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across New York, which allowed officials to distribute resources and aid more efficiently during the storm. Hochul also stated that “all state employees will work remotely on Monday, and encouraged other employers to do the same,” according to CBS News.
The City of Ithaca also declared a state of emergency, closing city facilities on Monday.
The University rarely declares snow days, only breaking its decades-long abstinence in 2017 during Winter Storm Stella which laid over a foot of snow on Ithaca and closed campus for 28 hours.
Coral Platt is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at cplatt@cornellsun.com.
Varsha Bhargava is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board and can be reached at vbhargava@cornellsun.com.
