Boston University’s Charles River and Medical campuses will be closed on Tuesday due to reports of an upcoming blizzard with low temperatures and up to three feet of snow, said BU spokesman Colin Riley. All academic activities and administrative services on the campuses will be suspended.
Campus closed Monday at 5 p.m. with classes and administrative activities scheduled afterward cancelled, according to a BU Emergency Alert. A blizzard warning will be in effect from Monday at 7 p.m. to Wednesday at 1 a.m. with the heaviest snowfall and wind gusts on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
“[There are] very cold temperatures,” Riley said. “You put your health at risk by being out in the storm, and we advise against it.”
Essential services including the BU Police Department, facilities, mail, health and dining services will still run, Riley said. West Campus, Warren Towers and Marciano Commons dining will remain open Tuesday, and residential services in those residences will continue.
The Fitness and Recreation Center and university libraries will be closed and student club activities and varsity sports events are cancelled, Riley said. Clinics at the School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine are also cancelled.
Service for the BU Shuttle is cancelled Monday evening and will not operate entirely on Tuesday, Riley said. Updates to the BUS schedule can be found online and on Twitter.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh issued a blizzard watch from Monday night to Wednesday morning and urged residents to remain “vigilant” about their surroundings.
“Our city has been through blizzards before, and I am confident we are prepared,” he said in a Sunday statement. “Public Works has 700 pieces of equipment ready, over 35,000 tons of salt on hand and snow farms are being readied for anticipated removal operations.”
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker reminded residents that roadways and public transportation may not be reliable during the blizzard.
“Unless forecasts change between now and tomorrow evening, people across Massachusetts should presume that roads on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, will be very hard, if not impossible, to navigate, that power outages are a distinct possibility and that most forms of public transportation may not be available,” he said in a Sunday statement.
Once classes resume, a regular schedule will be followed, Riley said. It is up to faculty members to determine if and how classes will be made up.
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