Tuesday, November 17, 2009
For four winters, Carey Winfield has returned to her pre-class ritual of bundling up before she braves the frosty elements and treks to class. She burrows in her snowboarding jacket and pulls on “big fluffy socks” and rubber snow boots. She insulates her legs, head and hands with long underwear, a warm, floppy hat and gloves. But Monday, Winfield, Tulsa, Okla., senior, wasn’t prepared for the cold and could only pull her coat tight to her cheeks to keep the oversized snowflakes off her face.
Photo Gallery
Lawrence's first snowfall of the season
Readers submitted their photos of the snow on Monday.
“I didn’t know it was going to snow,” Winfield said as she took refuge inside Wesoce to warm up. “Two days ago, I don’t think I had a coat on at all. Luckily, I had gloves in my pocket.”
As Winfield prepares for her daily winter walks, other local travelers are also making adjustments in the first snow of the season.
The city of Lawrence prepared to begin spreading 4,000 tons of sand and salt — 1,000 leftover from last year and 3,000 the city bought in May — across the streets, Tom Orzulak, street division manager said.
Orzulack said he felt fortunate amidst the early flurries to have all of the materials ready and a staff of 41 returning drivers.
“This is the earliest in past several years,” Orzulak said. “Usually, you get to Thanksgiving before it snows.”
Richard McNulty, lecturer in the atmospheric science program, said the winter weather might also possibly end earlier than usual because this year is an “el Nino” year. He said the “el Nino” climate would mean the temperatures longitudinally above and below the state of Kansas would likely increase slightly this winter. He said the weather in Kansas should stay pretty typical until temperatures begin rising in the spring.
“It’s an educated guess for something that far out,” McNulty said. “We have enough trouble with the next 24 hours sometimes.”
At the University, Facilities Operations had two trucks and 15 other workers ready to help clear the sidewalks and streets Monday, Mike Lang, campus landscape manager, said. He said a forecast for cold north winds would put him on alert through this morning.
“You have to keep an eye on things,” Lang said. “Myself or somebody else will be up all of tonight. If there’s accumulation, our staff will be up at 4 o’clock in the morning.”
Lang said once the weather turned more severe, the crew would prioritize clearing the main access roads and sidewalks onto campus and the handicap access ramps first and then proceed to clearing the paths between buildings.
Orzulack said unlike at the University, Lawrence residents and students off campus would be responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes.
As a new on-campus freshman, Hayden Fuchs, of Rapid City, South Dakota, said even though the campus sidewalks will be cleared, he would opt to take the bus this winter. Fuchs, who wore shorts today, said he had grown accustomed to gearing up for the cold in his home state, but was shocked to see the snow when he walked out of McCollum Hall. Once he boarded the bus, Fuchs said he found a mob of other students like him scrambling for seats and aisle room to escape the elements. Fuchs said he expected the bus to be extra busy throughout the winter season.
“I think there are going to be times where we’ll have to wait,” Fuchs said. “But there’s usually buildings next to the bus stops so you can just stay inside and wait till the next bus arrives.”
Jeremy Bash, KU on Wheels driver, said he hoped all of his passengers would continue to feel confident in the safety of the bus system. Bash, starting his second winter behind the wheel of a KU bus, said the vehicles have a switch that keeps a “retarder” feature from grabbing the tires and making them skid out in the winter weather. He said he and the other drivers would also remain extra vigilant about driving cautiously and defensively all winter long.
“Our supervisors have already made several announcements today for our drivers to dry slowly, telling them what to do to keep them from sliding,” Bash said. “We’re very aware of the situation.”
Follow Ray Segebrecht at twitter.com/rsegebrecht.
— Edited by Megan Morriss
Grounds crew proactive about winter weather
Unusually heavy snowfall keeps facility operations department busy clearing campus roads, sidewalks ...
Blizzard warning issued for Douglas County
KU Edwards Campus and Lawrence Public are closed Tuesday.
Shorman: Advice for surviving snowy winters
Life in Kansas means learning to deal with all types of weather.
Accidents expected to increase as roads clear
Drivers returning to newly-plowed roads receive a cautionary warning from a towing ...
Editorial: City’s snow removal policy unfair to ...
Lawrence residents face a fine if they don't remove the snow from ...
Blizzard update: Latest information, as it comes ...
Classes and campus operations will resume Thursday.
Blizzard waring issued for Douglas County
KU Edwards Campus and Lawrence Public are closed Tuesday.
Winter storm hits Lawrence
Two inches of snow accumulates in Lawrence as a result of the ...
New machine fights Lawrence potholes
Spray-injection patching offers a fix that lasts much longer than the old ...
Employees work overtime to counteract snowfall
Multiple inches of snow and biting temperatures don’t stop activities in Lawrence, ...
Homeless shelter offers limited space
Lawrence Community Shelter is struggling to house homeless after another Lawrence shelter’s ...
Editorial: Educational technology could spare students from ...
The University should consider using educational technology for class on inclement weather ...
Behind the scenes of the snow clean-up
Facilities Operations explains the process of cleaning up after a storm.
Winter weather presents new challenges
Heavy snows provides new and unexpected difficulties for both students and University ...
Overcrowded buses leaving hundreds behind
KU Transit has seen a 25 percent increase in riders this semester ...
Ice might be melting, but students still ...
Many students have suffered injuries from slipping on ice.
Volunteer program helps shovel snow
Law would fine those who don’t clear sidewalks, even if they can’t ...
City snow removal law vexes residents
Winter storms have made the Lawrence snow removal ordinance difficult to meet ...
Stopping to smell the roses
Landscaping around campus requires careful planning, budgeting and man power.
Bus crashes into campus building
A Park and Ride vehicle damaged Higuchi Hall Tuesday afternoon.
'Snowpocalypse' pummels Kansas, entire Midwest
Class cancelations, winter weather struggles abound in Kansas, Missouri and throughout the ...
Winter weather could cause problems
Students should prepare for the possibility of frozen pipes, power outages and ...
Students celebrate snow day, despite hazards
For many, the break was a change to sleep, drink, and catch ...
Q&A: What leads to the final decision ...
KU's director of media relations discusses the process to cancel classes
Union employees work through the snow
The Union provides a place on campus for emergency employees still on ...
Editor's note: Winter motivation
Associate editor Jonathan Hermes and his going-to-fall dance.
Scholarship hall suffers freezing false alarms
Students pass out after giving blood
Two students fainted on campus after donating in the blood drive.
Crews battle snow, costs
Getting your car winter-ready
On the cusp of harshly low temperatures, it’s important to take the ...
‘Green space’ on campus is endangered
Marvin Grove, other natural icons at the University threatened because of weather, ...
What it takes to get home
Kansan writer B.J. Rains follows the KU women’s basketball team as they ...
Better safe than sorry
SafeRide and SafeBus provide an often-unappreciated service to students.
Esposito: Ugg boots’ popularity baffles fashion experts
Popular sheep skin boot continue to be popular.
12th Street to be brought to light
A new lighting project will improve the walk from campus to downtown ...
Editorial: Commission shows support for homeless
New facility for homeless gets support from Planning Commission.
Bus drivers don't show up to work, ...
Two students stranded as Lawrence Bus Company drivers fail to shop up ...
KUlture: Sledding
Sometimes dangerous, always fun, sledding is a staple of the KU experience.
Seasonal sipping
How to winterize your liquor cabinet.
The hottest and the coolest jobs in ...
Summer weather is hot. Some gigs keep employees in an arctic blast ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID