Not one, but two weather advisories are currently in effect in the Cleveland area, with the “Hazardous Weather Outlook” and “Cold Weather Advisory” both lasting until Wednesday at 10 a.m., at the earliest and others extending into Sunday.
Experts further warn about the possibility, or rather certainty, of “cold wind chills as low as 24 below zero” as they “could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.”
On Jan. 19, Dean of the College of Health Melissa Cole and Dean of Students Lisa Brown Cornelius communicated over email their assessment of the situation, revealing “The JCU Weather Emergency Team is actively reviewing protocols and closely monitoring the forecast, especially regarding the extreme cold predicted for this week.”
On Jan. 20, Cole and Cornelius through JCU Alerts announced that the university would follow “Reduced Operations for Tuesday, January 21, 2025.” The intense conditions would lead to “dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills.” As such, all “classes will be conducted remotely and faculty will communicate specific plans to students.”
Additionally, on Jan. 21, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications Sarah Forrer, speaking for the University announced that classes before 11:30 a.m. would be cancelled. This “delayed start” as she mentioned, would have essential services such as the Schott Dining Hall open at 7:00 a.m., while other non-essential services like the cubby would only be open after 11:30 a.m.
As the university transitions to reduced activities, it joins the University of Akron and Stark State College, who both canceled classes via Facebook last week.
Another aspect of the hazardous weather is the struggle the City of University Heights continues to have to plow its streets, an issue that seemingly splits residents.
Bob Shephard of Conover Road, situated right between Warrensville Center and the Church of the Gesu, thought for his street, plowing was fine. “With Gesu’s classes canceled, and it being such a small street, I understand we were not first.” He then referenced that despite a full night passing from the first snow on Sunday, his road was still not plowed by 8 a.m., though by late morning the roads were clear. Shepherd concluded by saying “I have my all-weather tires and I understand they’ll be snow, that is Ohio.”
Mike Hesse of Milford Road, which sits right on the eastern side of the university, said that the plowing is simply hit or miss. “Sometimes they get to us quickly, other times, we are way behind other cities.” He did understand though that there are budgetary restrictions on how well the city can staff its fleet of only a few plows. In the end, he feels the current system is “not great” for residents, but that he has also seen worse.
Students on Warrensville Center Road were less optimistic. Luke Rupp ‘25 and Jack Finucane ‘25, both were very worried about the upcoming weather. Finucane mentioned that “people living nearer to South Euclid would be in trouble” as if they are trying to get to early morning classes, they might have to trudge 15-20 minutes in the snow, all depending on how close they are to campus and if the roads are clear. He was glad both he and the others would not have to walk to class tomorrow.
Rupp, for his part, thought it was the right call for classes to go remote or be canceled, as students both on and off campus would be worrying more about how to stay warm overnight than about attendance or homework the next day.
With all of these statements in mind, city residents and college students alike worry that John Carroll University and University Heights might need to do more work to prepare sufficiently for the coming weather. However, the reduced operations gives some students peace of mind.
