Classes still meet in frigid conditions

Despite the National Weather Service’s wind chill advisory extending through 1 p.m. Friday, students layered their clothes, bundled up and went to class Thursday in a temperature of two degrees that felt like -14 and wind gusts of 10.7 miles per hour.

“We have a reputation for not canceling classes and we will continue that way, but we’re not going to put people’s lives at risk,” said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre.

For walks to class, the IU Health Center’s winter outdoor safety guide offers tips on dressing for cold weather. It also urges people spending extended amounts of time outside to avoid overexertion and to stay hydrated.

Both frostbite and hypothermia require immediate medical attention and include symptoms such as discoloration, numbness, dizziness and exhaustion, according to the guide.

Each IU campus can decide individually to make cancellations. MacIntyre said he remembered only two times when the Bloomington campus canceled classes or closed the campus due to weather. In both cases, the snow caused roads to be too hazardous for travel. MacIntyre added hazardous road conditions would be the most likely reason for cancellations in Bloomington.

Safe travel of students and faculty is also the main concern of Monroe County Community School Corporation during the winter months. Once students are inside the building, they are not allowed to go outside for recess if the temperature is at a certain point. Thursday morning, the corporation delayed school for two hours.

Janet Tupper, administration assistant to the superintendent and school board, said the extra time gave bus drivers the chance to warm up their buses, avoid morning traffic and pick students up in the daylight. Usually, buses are on the roads by 6:20 a.m., before the sun rises. By 8:20 a.m., it is light outside, making children and other vehicles more visible to bus drivers.

“We watch the weather predictions, but the decision is not based solely on those,” Tupper said. She added the transportation department, bus drivers and county highway department work together to make cancellation decisions early in the morning.

“Every storm has its own personality,” said Highway Superintendent for Monroe County Highway Maintenance Department John Chambers. “But the main priority for the schools and us is the safety of the children.” 

The highway department advises Monroe County Community School Corporation, but the final decision is made by individual schools. The highway department uses salt and sand to clear the roads. In lower temperatures, sodium chloride helps melt the ice quickly.

On the IU campus, the grounds keepers and maintenance crews work to salt and sweep the sidewalks and clear streets owned by the University to keep the campus open in the winter months. Other weather that could cause cancellations on campus would be extreme weather, such as tornados, thunderstorms or icy rain.

“It would have to be weather that had potential to harm life and limb,” MacIntyre said.

In the event of cancellations or closings, students and employees would be informed through IU-Notify by text, e-mail or phone calls. The information is also posted on the Campus Emergency Preparedness Web site at http://www.iub.edu/~prepare/.