January 24, 2017
TheVanCougar.com
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Issue x
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Volume XXVIII
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First Copy Free
SPECIAL ISSUE: SNOWMAGEDDON 2017! Week of heavy snowfall prompts delays, closures, questions By Auz Burger
On a quiet Tuesday night, the sky above Clark County and surrounding areas opened up, covering Washington State University Vancouver in a cold white blanket. The storm came on quickly, and within an hour there was half an inch of snow covering parking lots and walkways. The snow fell through Wednesday morning, shutting campus down for the next two days. Then came a thick layer of ice. Along with extra study time and selfies with snowmen, this year’s “snowmageddon” brought frustration for many students. Welcome Week, the traditional kick-off to a new semester, was reduced to two days because of class cancelations. Classes resumed on Friday, but many students, faculty and staff could not make it to campus because the snow was turning to ice. Roadways became impassable, or too dangerous to navigate. Bus service to WSU Vancouver, C-Tran’s Route 19, was diverted to a snow route on Jan. 10. With the bus only going as far as Legacy Hospital, anyone who needed to get to WSU Vancouver via public transit had to walk up
WSU Vancouver was blanketed in snow that created breathtaking sights but also caused campus closures and delays. Photo credit: Quetzali Ramirez the steep, icy hill on 29th Avenue, making the journey to campus perilous. Route 19 did not resume serving campus until Jan. 18, a full week after the snow storm. Many students rejoiced because of the snow days, sharing photos of themselves playing in the snow or of the landscape blanketed in white. Some students
even visited campus throughout the week despite the official closure to snowboard, ski and sled down the hills. But others took to Twitter and Facebook to ask the university for earlier warnings of delays and closures. Many thought things would get back to normal the following Tuesday. While some classes did
resume on Jan. 17, many professors cancelled scheduled activities due to predictions of freezing rain. With ice accumulating along roadways leading east, word finally came of another campus closure at 1:15 p.m. Conditions finally thawed with warmer temperatures and rain falling on Jan. 18. In severe weather, university
policies urge students to keep their personal safety in mind with regard to road conditions and traveling to campus. Even if classes are not cancelled and campus is still open, students are encouraged to stay home if they believe it is unsafe to travel. Campus closures are displayed on the main page of the WSU Vancouver website. Students can also sign up to receive notifications about closures by visiting https://www. vancouver.wsu.edu/safety-plan/ emergency-communicationsvancouver-campus-and-public. To see which buses are on snow routes, and if the bus is coming to campus, visit C-Tran’s website at https://www.c-tran. com or call 360-695-0123. For any additional questions about inclement weather, contact WSU Vancouver Department of Public Safety Services by phone at 360-546-9001, or in person at the Public Safety office located in Room 120 of the Classroom Building (VCLS 120). Editor’s note: You can find a selection of photos shared by students with the hashtag #snowcougs on page 2 of this issue. And it’s not too late to add your photos to this frosty gallery. n
Ice, snow and more ice blasts the Portland metro area
Unprepared residents and commuters alike left stranded in cold By Megan Peaker
In the worst winter storm to hit the Portland metro area since 2008, Clark County residents struggled to keep up with the mounting snow. Close to a foot of the white precipitation blanketed both hills and valleys as temperatures plummeted to single digits in some areas. This winter wonderland soon gave way to an icy trap for motorists – one laid by none other than Mother Nature. Across Vancouver and Portland, cars lined highways and parking lots as some drivers abandoned their vehicles to get home safely. Metro, TriMet and C-Tran routes were limited or shut down completely as the snowfall began to exceed predictions. And many residents and city services were unprepared to deal with the onslaught. With record-setting precipitation in place, the mercury continued to drop. Fluffy drifts became a solid sheet of ice, making already treacherous roads impassable. Schools and businesses closed their doors to prevent injuries and keep people indoors. According to The Weather Channel, the systems impacting Vancouver and Portland came in three waves over a period of 10
Ice and snow encased the Clark County landscape. Photo credit: grumpybearphotos via Instagram days. The storms have been dubbed Iras, Jupiter and Kori. Iras was the first to hit, bringing less than an inch of snow and ice. Jupiter was the biggest storm, bringing close to
a foot of snow. Then Kori capped off the deluge with about an inch of ice. These three storms created a layered effect of ice – snow – ice that became particularly
dangerous as it thawed out. With help from friends and neighbors, all but the most vulnerable metro area residents survived what the VanCougar
is calling Snowmageddon 2017. It is a week in local history many won’t soon forget. n
2 | STUDENT LIFE
THEVANCOUGAR.COM
Students share troubles that came with recent weather By Emily Bratcher
Inconsistency is the word that comes to mind when it came to classes over the last couple of weeks on campus. Due not only to weather but also last-minute messaging from Washington State University Vancouver, many students were forced to stay home even when campus was open. In other cases, students made it to campus only to discover that professors commuting from outlying areas had canceled classes. The record snowfall that impacted the local region in midJanuary caused numerous school and work closures. WSU Vancouver was officially closed for three days. “I was so surprised how hard the snow system hit our area. I’m glad WSU Vancouver made the right calls as to when they closed the campus,” said Noelle Derrey, a freshman. “When campus was open, I had teachers who decided to cancel anyway, so that was a little confusing.” Sophomore Chloe Smith described roadways choked with ice and snow, and how the university’s reluctance to announce closures until the early morning hours affected her daily schedule. “Roads were chaotic for about six days straight for me,” Smith said. “I feel like when WSU Vancouver has to cancel school they have to take in a wide range of areas as to where students travel from, since we are a commuter campus.” Junior Sterling Fletcher had
an evening class scheduled the night the snow began falling. While the class ended early, Fletcher returned to campus to help students push their cars out of the snowed-in parking lots, as well as giving them advice for driving safely in the snow. “I was fortunate enough to have family in Utah who taught me a few years back,” Sterling said, “and was more than willing to share this knowledge along with a push to my fellow Cougs and community members who were just trying to get home.” A spokesperson for the university declined to comment for this story, pointing instead to inclement weather policies and numerous alerts posted online. As stated on WSU Vancouver’s website, students are responsible for safely getting to campus. If students perceive risks in trying to get to class or are not comfortable with driving conditions, they are encouraged to stay home. Campus-wide closures are rare, but when they happen, students are informed through multiple platforms, including the university website and emergency notifications sent directly by phone or email. Instructors may also cancel on an individual basis if they cannot make it to campus. Falling temperatures can impact a student's life tremendously. But by taking the right precautions, the WSU Vancouver communty can stay safe and make it to class. n
University closure meant that the hills around campus became impromptu snowboard, ski and sled slopes. Photo credit: Zeke Estes
Normally cold rivers were made even more frigid by the deep freeze. Photo credit: Matt DeBartolo.
Students head to campus instead of the mountains to enjoy winter sports. Photo credit: Zeke Estes
Above: Cold steel rails meet cold white snow. Photo credit: Taylor Hammon Left: Humans were cold, but so too were snowmen. Photo credit: fullofholes via Instagram Right: Students reveled in the time off from classes. Photo credit: haleyfrahm via Instagram Washington State University Vancouver