 "Photo: Ellen Craven")
As students moving back onto campus Monday dodged the piles of snow crowding area streets and waded through slushy walkways, forecasters warned of another significant storm headed for Delaware.
The National Weather Service is predicting 10 to 18 inches of snow to fall Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday night.
A winter storm warning has been issued for New Castle County, extending from 4 p.m. Tuesday to midnight Thursday. A mix of rain and snow is expected to fall on top of the more than 2 feet of snow that already covers campus.
Although residence halls were open for returning students on Sunday, the university urged students not to risk driving in the area until Monday. University officials also delayed Winter Session exams and pushed back the start of Spring Semester by one day.
Many students, like freshman Andrea Birch, heeded the university’s advice and postponed their plans.
Birch said although main roads like Interstate 95 were clear, getting around on campus was a hassle.
“Driving down wasn’t inconvenient, but getting out of the car was,” Birch said, pointing to the snow bank spilling out into the fire lane behind Thompson Hall where students were unpacking their cars.
Senior Sarah Ulizio said she was pleased with the way the university handled notifying students of the changes to the semester. On Friday, officials activated the UD Alert System to tell students about the delay.
“I think it was really good that they canceled things on the weekend and moved finals around,” she said. “That was smart and convenient, with professors getting back to classes and everything.”
Senior Kellyn Wright said she was bothered by the snowy roads.
“On Sunday, the roads were bad,” Wright said. “It looked like they attempted to plow but just forgot routes or stopped — maybe took a lunch break.”
Freshman Aileen Peachman drove from Danbury, Conn. with her family on Monday. “It’s not that bad out, we got here in three and a half hours which was like amazing. There was no traffic,” she said.
Peachman said she wasn’t nervous about returning in Monday’s driving conditions.
“I was more nervous as I got into town, about how the roads would be, because the highways were fine,” she said. “Academy [Street] was a little icy, there were patches of snow — we were bouncing some but that’s really it.”.
Freshman Falyn Rasmussen said her family was not impressed with how Newark has cleared the snow, and they had trouble getting around the streets especially near parking lots on campus.
“Where there’s and exit and an entrance lane, they only plowed one of them so it’s one-way only so you have to wait for everyone else, and all the parking spots are taken up by snow so it’s a hassle.”
Wright said messy parking lots clogged the scene as students returned.
“I don’t know how people were moving in,” she said. “They were like climbing through snow.”
Wright said she spent much of Sunday and Monday shoveling out cars blocked into the Laird Campus parking lots.
“I had to scoop my way out with a friend’s trash can,” she said. “They could sell shovels at the Commons or the P.O.D. at least, but you know you can’t shovel yourself out with shovels if you can’t get to the store to buy a shovel and don’t already have one, so we just got creative.” Wright said.
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