Tag Archive: Blizzard

  1. Update: Yale to close tomorrow

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    It appears Yale may have its second snow day in a row tomorrow.

    According to a New Haven City Hall press release, Yale University — along with New Haven City Hall, New Haven Public Schools, senior centers and libraries — will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday Feb. 12. City Hall spokeswoman Anna Mariotti told the News that Mayor John DeStefano Jr. confirmed to her that Yale will be closed tomorrow.

    State Reps. Roland Lemar and Gary Holder-Winfield also posted on their Facebook pages that Yale will be closed tomorrow.

    Roads around the hospitals, main arterial roads and secondary roads have been made passable in New Haven, but city crews will continue to work clearing neighborhoods today.

    Update: 12:59 p.m.

    University Vice President Linda Lorimer confirmed that Yale will be closed tomorrow in an email to the Yale community. Read the full text of her email below:

    To the Yale Community:

    At Mayor DeStefano’s request, classes will be cancelled University-wide for Tuesday, February 12.  As has been the case since Friday, we need to rely again on all staff providing essential services to come to work and continue their remarkable, indeed heroic, services.  (If you are involved in the provision of clinical services, please see the notice below.) If you provide essential services and cannot make it to work, please call your supervisor directly.

    All other staff members are asked to stay home on Tuesday.

    The city is working full blast with 120 crews on the streets, but the task is monumental.  The crews are focusing on clearing streets today, and will spend all night on clearing intersections, where flooding is likely because of today’s rain.  As the Mayor made clear (and our colleagues confirmed), there is no prospect that the downtown can handle anything close to a normal business day’s traffic volume tomorrow, and parking both downtown and on campus would be inadequate to accommodate our usual amount of vehicles.  The Mayor is hopeful that New Haven can resume most normal activity on Wednesday, but we will have to play it day by day.

    *Acute care services at Yale Health and Yale-New Haven Hospital will remain open, and we are working with Yale Medical Group and Yale-New Haven Hospital to determine which ambulatory clinics will be open tomorrow. Staff with responsibilities in clinical settings will receive a separate communication from the Yale Medical Group. Information about Tuesday’s clinical services will also be posted as available on http://emergency.yale.edu and http://yalemedicalgroup.org.

    *Through the heroic efforts of numerous people, Yale Dining continues to serve meals but there will be some alteration in which dining halls are open when.  The College students will be informed.

    *The Yale Shuttle will not be operating tomorrow.

    *Although it may present inconveniences, researchers and other lab personnel are asked to delay, as much as possible, any experiments, routine operations, or other activities, since emergency responders are still having serious difficulty in getting around town and campus.

    Many sidewalks are completely blocked, and walking in the streets presents both a hazard to you and an impediment to those trying to clean things up.  We are aware of some very close calls where pedestrians walking in the streets were almost hit by vehicles.  We also know that Yale Health is receiving reports of injuries related to falls.  It is just not safe to be out and about on city sidewalks and streets!

    Please continue to check http://emergency.yale.edu for updates.

    Best,
    Linda

  2. Update: Admins tackle Blizzard Nemo

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    As students bundled up in cold-weather gear to throw snowballs amid afternoon flurries, city officials and University administrators met to provide updated storm response procedures before the eye of what meteorologists are dubbing a historic storm hits the Elm City this evening.

    “This is not an ordinary snowstorm,” Dean of Yale College Mary Miller wrote in a Friday morning email to students that urged them to stay indoors for the duration of the storm.

    Administrators provided several updates to cancellations due to the storm Friday afternoon. Miller said libraries, galleries, museums, Ingalls Rink and the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center closed at noon. Payne Whitney Gymnasium is slated to close at 4 p.m. Friday until further notice. Yale Health Acute Care will remain open for medical emergencies.

    Miller added that special hours for Yale Dining have also been implemented. On Saturday, no continental breakfast will be offered and dinner will be available from 4 to 6 p.m. Durfee’s closes at 5 p.m. Friday and will operate under adjusted hours from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

    In addition to a blizzard warning and coastal flood advisory, the National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook Friday morning that will remain in effect until 1 p.m. on Saturday, warning of poor visibility conditions, snow accumulation ranging from 18 to 24 inches, winds up to 55 miles per hour and potential power outages due to fallen trees.

    Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have all declared a state of emergency in response to the blizzard, and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has announced a ban on motor vehicles starting 4 p.m. on Friday. David Hartman, director of communications for the New Haven Police Department, warned residents to stay off the roads, as even light street traffic can hinder snow removal.

    “In lieu of driving, we recommend making snow angels and drinking hot chocolate,” Hartman said.

    The National Weather service also forecasts snow showers throughout Monday.

    Read the full text of Miller’s email below:

    Because of the weather, many University offices will be closed this afternoon.  Here is a summary of important information. Please check http://emergency.yale.edu for the most up-to-date listing of closings.

    • Dining halls will be open according the schedule below;
    • Yale Health Acute Care will be open for emergencies;
    • Libraries, galleries, and museums are closed as of noon today;
    • Ingalls Rink and the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center will be closed at noon today, and Payne Whitney Gym will close at 4:00;
    • Several afternoon classes are scheduled for today.  Please check to be sure that your class is meeting before venturing out;
    • Yale Transit will continue running until 3:00pm unless the roads become too hazardous. Please checkhttp://www.yale.transloc.com/ for current information.
    This is not an ordinary snow storm: You may not be able to see across the street. You may not be able to stand in the driving wind or on the ice. Please stay indoors during this blizzard.