This week began frigidly. On Sunday, Feb. 16, the National Weather Service announced that a winter storm warning would be in effect until 7 a.m. the next day. Cuyahoga County was told to brace for 4–8 inches of snow. The wind chill temperature dipped below zero degrees Fahrenheit from Monday evening to Tuesday at noon. Despite these conditions, Case Western Reserve University students and faculty did not receive a snow day.
It began snowing on Sunday. By Monday morning, many sidewalks were not cleared, including East 115th Street on the side of the Village, East 108th Street, the sidewalk behind the CWRU Division of Public Safety, Juniper Road and part of Bellflower Road. East 115th Street is in the highest priority category of CWRU’s snow-removal priorities, though much of it was not properly cleared until Wednesday.
The uncleared snow eventually became ice. A first-year student who fell on her face said that the “Elephant Stairs are icy. The top of the hill is not clean.” On Monday morning, the main walkways on Case Quad were not cleared, but the small sidewalk connecting Strosacker and Wickenden was. The sidewalks around Fribley Commons were only cleared on Tuesday and were not salted as of Wednesday. Sidewalks near off-campus housing became covered in black ice.
Despite these conditions, university administration did not implement a snow day. When asked about the preconditions for declaring a snow day, the university said, “In severe weather conditions, members of the Case Western Reserve administration determine whether to continue university operations (including labs, clinical care and other critical work beyond classes) as normal, delay opening or close. These complex decisions take into consideration, first and foremost, the safety of the university community but also balance the need to continue the university’s mission of education and research.”
By Tuesday, some snow still had not been cleared. One fourth-year student said, “I am still parked on like a foot of snow and having to walk through a good amount of it from car to door.”
When asked who is responsible for snow removal on campus, the university said, “Campus Planning and Facilities Management is responsible for clearing snow and melting ice on campus walkways and parking lots and, when necessary, this department brings in contractors to meet the demand of a large campus … The City of Cleveland is responsible for maintaining streets, public sidewalks and crosswalks near campus, though CWRU assists when needed.”
One fourth-year student called the snow removal “atrocious,” saying that “Cleveland needs to step it up.”
There is recourse for uncleared snow or ice. The university said, “If members of the CWRU community find areas of campus that need further attention, we urge them to contact customer service at (216) 368-2580 so issues can be addressed.”