Classes Canceled for Wednesday as Severe Weather Emergency Continues
February 1, 2011
February 1, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — DePauw University will remain closed tomorrow, Wednesday February 2, for a second day due to the severe weather emergency declared last night. It is anticipated that the University will reopen at 7 a.m. on Thursday, February 3, although that will be determined by weather conditions.
Individuals are encouraged to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. Putnam County is currently under a level 2 snow emergency, in which conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. Only essential travel is recommended.[UPDATE 2/1 6:33 p.m.: The weather emergency was increased to a level 1 status as of 6 p.m. Tuesday. Travel is restricted to emergency personnel only.]
Click here to access an earlier update on the weather emergency.
Freezing rain began falling Monday evening creating icy conditions. Frozen precipitation is again coming down this afternoon and as more than an inch of ice could accumulate. An Ice Storm Warning is in effect, and there is also a chance of thunderstorms tonight. Snow is expected to fall by early morning accompanied by West 
winds of 15 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts to around 45 m.p.h., which will cause blowing and drifting, and the wind chill index is expected to drop below zero tomorrow night. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through Wednesday night.
"The potential for snow at the trailing edge of this system, combined with wind, may result in blizzard like conditions with single digit temperatures," says Angie Nally, director of public safety at DePauw.
For the latest on conditions, access Weather.com's forecast for Greencastle.
Ice is accumulating on power lines and trees, and could result in outages and lines and trees falling. "Power outages would impact many aspects of infrastructure such as heating, ventilation and anything that requires electricity to operate," Nally points out in a campus-wide e-mail sent at 5 p.m. "If the power outage occurs early in the evening (before 8 p.m.), the University will help facilitate a move for those displaced by power outages to residence hall floor lounges and lobbies. Students can also make arrangements to stay with friends who still have power. If you experience a power outage, please call Public Safety at (765) 658-4261 to report the problem. We will report outages to Duke Energy and DePauw facilities staff to obtain an assessment of the situation. If the outage occurs later in the evening (after 8 p.m.), the best course of action is to call Public Safety to report the outage and stay where you are until morning."
Students should be prepared to relocate in the event that becomes necessary, and are encouraged to gather their personal necessities -- such as medicine, 
eyeglasses, warm clothes and their cell phone and charger.
The Hub (in the Union Building) will provide food service until 7 p.m. tonight and will reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The Den (in Londgen Hall) will close at 8 p.m.and reopen at 8 a.m. The Inn at DePauw's 2 West restaurant will be open for dinner until 10 p.m. and begin serving breakfast at 6 a.m. Wednesday. The Fluttering Duck, also located in The Inn, will be serving food until 10 p.m., when it will close. All hours are pending any power outages.
Monitor this page for updates.
The DePauw community will also receive updates via e-mail. Information on winter emergencies can be found at DePauw's emergency management page.
Individual questions may be directed to police@depauw.edu.
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