March 2, 2009
Winter Storm Blankets Elon University Overnight, Classes Cancelled
By Ashley Dischinger
As students begin looking forward to a quickly approaching spring break, a massive winter storm blanketed Elon University in approximately four inches of snow and ice late Sunday night.
An overnight snow storm left students' cars covered in nearly four inches of snow and ice.
The storm system stretched from New England to as far south as South Carolina and parts of Georgia. Areas in the North received total accumulations between eight and 12 inches of snow and ice, with some areas around Boston pounded by up to 15 inches.
The storm is responsible for the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from New York and Boston airports. Thousands of traffic accidents nationwide have been reported, and news stations have advised the public to remain at home until the roads have been safely cleared.
Power outages are another widespread problem, with many neighborhoods in the Elon area suffering from power loss. The university was without power until approximately 10 a.m. this morning.
Elon University is just one of the schools nationwide that cancelled classes on Monday due to dangerous weather conditions. The university alerted students to the cancellation early Monday morning by e-mail, text messaging and inclement weather notifications on the university Web site.
Students took advantage of the snow day by sleeping in, making snow angels, initiating snow fights and putting off their work for as long as possible.
Students play in the snow after Elon University cancelled all classes today.
Freshman Jeneva Russell dragged her two best friends, Brenna Lakesan and Heather Babb, outside first thing in the morning to build a snowman. It eventually fell down, but that didn’t dampen the girls’ spirits.
“I’m making snow cream,” Babb said. “You put condensed milk in [the snow], vanilla, and sugar… and it’s like homemade ice cream.”
Click below to listen to Russell, Lakesan, and Babb talk about their snow day:
Babb, who lives in the mountains, was excited to share her recipe with Russell and Lakesan. They also planned to make snow angels and have a snowball fight later in the day.
“Yeah, I’m going to miss class so much,” Russell joked. “It’s the best snow ever. It’s so exciting!”
A Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service is in effect through Tuesday morning for Alamance County and other areas of the Piedmont. The roads are expected to refreeze overnight, with black ice likely for the morning commute. Temperatures are expected to hover around freezing, making it unlikely that the snow will soon melt.
According to a story by the Burlington Times-News, meteorologist Jeff Orrock with the National Weather Service in Raleigh believes that conditions won’t improve anytime soon. He does expect that most of the snow will disappear by Thursday, when temperatures begin heating up to nearly 70 degrees.
For more weather updates and local forecasts, visit the Weather Channel Web site.
Ashley's Reporting Endeavors 