The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

Ice storm causes classes to be canceled

Matthew Resenhoeft

The university’s provost and vice chancellor, Ron Satz, barely made it to his car Monday night without slipping and falling down.

And that’s when he knew he and the other university officials had made the right decision.

Because of weather that could cause icy conditions, Satz, other university administration and Chancellor Don Mash made the decision Monday to cancel classes scheduled for after 5 p.m. that day.

In his 32 years at the university, associate professor of geography Richard Palm could only remember two other instances when this happened.

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“It’s very unusual,” Palm said.

Satz said the university canceled classes because they thought it would be in the students’ best interest.

“(Canceling classes) doesn’t happen a lot,” Satz said, adding that he couldn’t remember the last time classes were canceled in his 17 years at the university.

Satz said he and the others followed the weather conditions during the day and talked with colleagues from around Eau Claire before making the decision to cancel classes.

“We could see a potentially dangerous situation arising from the freezing rain,” Satz said.

Many Eau Claire area schools closed early on Monday, including Chippewa Valley Technical College.

The university had received many calls during the day from people wanting to know if classes were canceled, mostly from those students who commute, Satz said.

Palm said meteorologists can predict and were predicting the ice storm about 24 hours in advance, but more accurate predictions can be made 12 hours in advance.

“You have to be very careful with your decisions when predictions like that occur,” Palm said. “You never know if the predictions will come true. But when students’ well-being is at stake, it’s better to take precautions.”

Satz said he thought conditions outside Monday night were very slick.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to walk up the hill that night,” he said.

An ice storm occurs when warm air falls as moisture and then freezes when it hits the ground, Palm said. A bad storm can have as much as a half-inch layering of ice, he said, but he didn’t think conditions Monday night got that bad.

“I’ve seen worse,” Palm said, adding that there were still many slippery spots.

Junior Jill Bergen, who had a Monday night history class canceled as a result of the weather, said she was surprised when she first heard classes were canceled because she had been inside all day working.

Bergen said she isn’t worried about having to make up the lecture missed Monday night.

“Once I saw what it was like outside, I understood why they had to cancel it,” she said.

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Ice storm causes classes to be canceled