To ring in the new year, the sky opened up and dumped nearly 16 inches of snow on the City of Ann Arbor.
The large amount of unexpected snow has delayed students returning to the University.
Some students who are unsure about their reserved spots in classes have been calling department offices to let professors know they might not make it back for the first day of class.
"I am getting calls from people who are stranded," said Linda, a receptionist in the Romance Languages department who did not want her last name used.
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| Business Administration first-year student Priya Franklin shovels the area surrounding her car |
She said she takes the names of the students and write notes to the instructors to ensure the students will not lose their places in classes.
In the English department, five professors have called to notify the University that they are stranded. The department plans to post notes telling students classes are canceled.
For students who cannot attend classes due to inclement weather and are worried about losing their places in classes with long wait lists, "we're going to wait until Monday to adhere to our policy," said Terry Jansen, who oversees the introductory composition classes.
In addition to the stress of starting classes, students may be faced with another worry - removing snow from walkways leading to their apartment or house.
Chapter 105 of the Ann Arbor City Code states that all snow and ice that has accumulated prior to 6 a.m. must be removed by 2:30 p.m. of the same day. In many cases, snow removal is taken care of by landlords.
The city is enforcing the ordinance on a complaint basis at this time, said Building Department Director Larry Pickel. Tickets can be issued to residents who fail to meet snow and ice removal requirements.
"Tickets are a last resort - we want people to clean their sidewalks," Pickel said.
Pickel said he thinks the ordinance is important for a reason other than the obvious inconvenience of blocked walkways.
"If an emergency crew needs to get in to a house or building, slippery walkways can delay entry where every second might be critical," Pickel said.
The first Storm of 1999 is being classified by the National Weather Service as a blizzard.
"It's the third most snow we've had since 1889," said University and NWS observer Dennis Kahlbaum.
Kahlbaum said a blizzard is categorized by winds of more than 32 miles an hour, very low temperatures and large amounts of powdery and blowing snow.
More snow was expected to fall last night. "It looks like about 1 to 3 inches," Kahlbaum said, adding the temperatures are projected to be in the 20s until the weekend.
"This storm is known as a clipper," Kahlbaum said of the expected mid-week storm. Clippers move fast but efficiently produce much snowfall, he said.
To compound the hazardous weather conditions, a wind chill advisory was in effect for Washtenaw County until last night.
Extremely low temperatures combined with windy conditions can pose a threat to students spending time outdoors.
Department of Public Safety spokesperson Beth Hall said it is important to protect extremities such as fingers, ears and feet from the cold. Also, those planning on shoveling snow should take caution.
"No matter what kind of physical shape you are in, you should take frequent breaks," Hall said. "A number of people suffer heart attacks while shoveling."
Snowy walkways could also result in missing mail. Some carriers may not be able to access boxes and must return the mail to the post office.
"We ask carriers not to jeopardize their safety," Ann Arbor Postmaster Jim Gibbons said.
Ann Arbor residents who are expecting important letters can pick up their mail at the post office. Gibbons did not encourage all customers to visit the front desk of the post office to retrieve their mail as there are not enough hands there to serve everyone.
Gibbons said the snow makes this "one of the least fun times of the year."
Residents who have not been receiving mail should expect regular service to resume today "just in time for the next snowstorm," Gibbons said. "We just ask customers to be patient."
All of the residence halls have been served, Gibbons said.
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| Cars on South Division Street were
covered by snow yesterday.
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01-06-99
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