The University canceled in-person classes and closed all non-essential administrative and academic offices Feb. 13 due to severe winter conditions, according to an email from Russell Carey, the executive vice president for planning and policy. Classes “may be held remotely at the discretion of the instructor,” Carey wrote, adding that faculty and instructors should communicate directly with students.
“A winter storm warning is in effect from 1 a.m. Tuesday, February 13, to 1 a.m. Wednesday, February 14,” he wrote. “Visibility and travel conditions will be challenging at best and most likely dangerous throughout the day tomorrow.”
The Weather Channel currently predicts between eight to 12 inches of snow in Providence with temperatures around freezing and winds between 15 to 25 miles per hour.
“All members of the community are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel and to remain indoors during the height of the storm,” Carey wrote. “Heavy snowfall, high winds, ice and snow on streets, sidewalks and paths, and a lack of visibility will pose serious risks — please stay safe and stay indoors.”
The annual Stephen A. Ogden Jr. ’60 Memorial Lecture, which this year will feature former Rep. Liz Cheney and was previously scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, will be rescheduled, according to the email. The Sharpe Refectory and the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall are expected to operate at normal hours, but “other dining service units may be closed or operating with modified hours,” Carey wrote.
An indefinite citywide parking ban will take effect at midnight, according to the email.
Ryan Doherty is a section editor covering faculty, higher education and science and research. He is a junior concentrating in Chemistry and Economics who likes to partially complete crosswords in his free time.