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Snow Storm

Photos from the snow storm on Tuesday. Classes were canceled and Gov. Sam Brownback signed a State of Disaster Emergency Declaration early Tuesday morning.

5:18 p.m. update

Classes will resume Thursday as the Lawrence campus returns to normal operations. Facilities Operations staff will continue to clear campus streets, sidewalks and parking lots overnight, according to a press release. Bus service is expected to resume at 7 a.m.

Yellow parking permit holders are encouraged to park in the Park & Ride lot and to take the express buses to campus if yellow permit lots on campus are full. Large piles of snow slightly will reduce the number of available stalls tomorrow. The bus ride is free with a KUID.

2:16 p.m. update

All intramural activities scheduled today at Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center have been canceled.

11:11 a.m. update

No buses to and from campus are running today. The T, the City of Lawrence transit service, is only operating the paratransit service for medical necessity and dialysis.

Street maintenance crews have worked through the night to plow main roads, according to a City of Lawrence press release. Crews expect to move into residential areas this afternoon.

“We are making progress,” said Tom Orzulak, street maintenance manager, in the press release. “Main roads are clear but they are ice-packed. All of the main roads have been treated and plowed.”

On campus, Student Senate committee meetings, which are usually held on Wednesday evenings, have been postponed until Tuesday, Feb. 8. These meetings will take place within in the Kansas Union at the following times:

• Finance committee at 6 p.m. in the Malott room.
• University Affairs at 6:30 p.m. in Alcove D
• Multicultural Affairs at 6:30 p.m. in Alcove F
• Student Rights at 6:30 p.m. in the Impromptu Alcove

10:07 a.m. update

The Kansas Union is open today, but only the Hawk Shop will be open for business. It is anticipated the building will stay open until 5 p.m.

The Burge Union is closed except for the Athletics Meals program.

Residential Dining Services serving campus residence halls will remain open.

The "Michael Byers/Discovering Pluto" event schedule for Thursday night has been postponed because of travel-related problems. University officials will provide rescheduling information at a later date.

This is the first two-day, consecutive campus closure at the KU Lawrence campus since an ice storm hit Jan. 30 and 31, 2002.

9:20 p.m. Tuesday update

The National Weather Service in Topeka replaced the blizzard warning with a wind chill advisory. The wind chill advisory is in effect until noon Wednesday. Heavy snowfall has ended in Lawrence with light snow or flurries expected before midnight.

5:26 p.m. Tuesday update

KU Lawrence and Edwards campuses are closed Wednesday because of inclement weather. Students and faculty were notified at 5:17 p.m. through the University's emergency alert system.

Student Health Services and the Unions will be open tomorrow. The KU-Colorado women’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse will be played as scheduled.

Gov. Sam Brownback announced this afternoon state offices in Topeka and Shawnee County will be closed Wednesday, according to a press release.

Brownback made the decision after meeting with the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Department of Administration and the National Weather Service.

Five to 13 inches of snow are still expected to fall before ending Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka.

Driving conditions are expected to worsen this evening as periods of heavy snow and winds cause poor visibility and snow-packed roads. Wind chill is expected to reach 15 to 25 degrees below zero tonight.

3:49 p.m. Tuesday update

The Watkins Student Health Center will close at 4:30 p.m. today.

The City of Lawrence has announced that city busses, including KU on Wheels, will run until 4 p.m. today. Service will resume at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

1:45 p.m. Tuesday update

All intramural activities scheduled for today at Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center have been canceled.

KU Memorial Unions announced the following closing times earlier today for on-campus services:

Kansas Union Services

Building: closes at 5 p.m.

KU Bookstore: closed

The Market Cafe: closed

Pulse Coffee: closed

Hawk Shop Convenience Store: closes at 5 p.m.

Union Human Resources: closed

Union Business Office: closed

Commerce Bank: closed

FedEx Office: closed

Salon Hawk: closed

Kaplan Test Prep: closed

KU Card Center: closed

Student Involvement and Leadership Center: closed

KU Info: closed

Burge Union Services

Building: closes at 5 p.m.

KU Bookstore and Hawk Shop: closed at noon

Training Table: open 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Legal Services for Students: closed

Collab: closed

University Career Services: closed

Campus Services

Hawk Food Stops: closed

Underground: closed

Residence Hall Dining: open for normal schedule

Mortar and Pestle: Closed

12:12 p.m. Tuesday update

Gov. Sam Brownback signed a State of Disaster Emergency Declaration earlier today. The declaration authorizes the use of state resources and funds for emergency assistance statewide.

“We have learned from past experience that we can’t wait for the storm to hit before we respond,” Brownback said in a press release. “We need to anticipate the storm’s impact and pre-position our resources where they are likely to be the most effective.”

The governor urged Kansans to also prepare for the winter storm's effect on their community and travel plans.

“We ask Kansans to be extremely careful as this storm moves across the state," Brownback said. "Ice, snow and bitterly cold temperatures will make for very dangerous conditions. Planning ahead could save your life and that of your family."

8:18 a.m. Tuesday update

The KU Lawrence Campus is closed today because of inclement weather. Students and faculty were notified at 6:05 a.m. through the University's emergency alert system.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning yesterday that is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the warning, snowfall will become heavy around noon and will continue throughout the day. Winds from the north are expected to reach 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. This will cause blowing snow and drifting, which will lead to dangerous driving conditions.

Northeast Kansas is expected to receive nine to 14 inches of snow. Wind chills tonight will dip down to as low as 15 to 25 degrees below zero.

The last time classes were canceled due to the weather was on Feb. 21, 2008. According to KU Relations, inclement weather has cause classes to be canceled 11 times since 1978.

According to the University’s website, the Edwards Campus in Overland Park and KU Medical Center in Kansan City, Kan., are also closed.