The first day of class might have been a little more challenging than usual for Boston University students this semester with the storm that lasted for much of the day Tuesday creating icy conditions around campus.
Huge puddles of slush and frozen sidewalks on Commonwealth Avenue made walking to class problematic for many students.
“I wasn’t expecting this snow. It was kind of crazy I woke up and it was there,” said Jake Vortegut, a sophomore in the School of Management.
In a press release early Tuesday, Mayor Thomas Menino advised caution to pedestrians and motorists in Boston, warning of slick roads and sidewalks as a result of the “flash freezing of pooled water and untreated surfaces that may impact evening and morning commutes.”
By 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Boston received almost two inches of rain and snow. Neighborhoods surrounding Boston experienced even greater precipitation, with the National Weather Service reporting that at least four inches of snow fell in Roslindale and more than three inches in Cambridge.
Across Massachusetts, areas of Middlesex and Worcester counties were hit hardest: by almost 3 p.m., at least 7.3 inches of snow had already been dumped on Ayer, while the towns of Shrewsbury and Boylston were pounded with 7.4 and 7.2 inches each.
Though workers attempted to keep the walkways clear throughout the day, conditions were still slippery near the BU Bridge and on several stretches of Comm. Ave. by about 6 p.m.
Despite the ice, some students weren’t too concerned about the weather.
“It’s Boston, get used to it,” said Kenneth Meneduz, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. “It sucks and the snow is a bit heavy and I didn’t expect the puddles, but it’s the East Coast. You have to get used to the weather.”
But Meneduz also noted the conditions could be dangerous for students.
“Safety is definitely important, especially when students are walking to class in a populated area with a lot of intersections.”
Vortegut said he wished there had been “more snow blowers to clear the sidewalks better so walking to class could have been better by avoiding the puddles.”
Molly Binger, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilition Sciences, complained many of the sidewalks around BU remained untreated for much of the day.
“It was only icy in the places where they didn’t shovel soon enough. . .the BU Bridge was bad,” she said.
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