Snowfall takes toll on Penn

and Doree Shafrir A record-breaking snowstorm hit the Philadelphia area last week, leaving nearly 40 inches on the ground and snow drifts of more than four feet. The weather conditions were so bad that Executive Vice President John Fry decided to close the campus last Monday and Tuesday. "It would have been really difficult for people to get in," Fry explained. "My primary concern was people's safety." This is the first time the University has been shut down since the winter of 1994, when the University was forced to close after Physical Plant ran out of salt to combat the icy walkways around campus. "This winter, we're not going to run out of salt again," vowed James Wargo, executive director of Physical Plant. After last week's storms, a crew of 50 to 60 people worked 14-hour days to ensure that the University was safe and ready for the students' return to campus, Fry said. "[Maintenance workers] got together and carpooled in," Fry said. "They stayed on the job Sunday, Monday and Tuesday without returning home." Philadelphia was not prepared for the exceptionally large snowfall or unusual fluffy and dry precipitation. According to Director of Environmental Studies Robert Giegengack, when temperatures drop below a certain level, snow takes up more space. "The total precipitation at the Philadelphia airport was only the equivalent of 1.55 inches of liquid water," the geology professor explained. "We have experienced lots of storms in Philadelphia that have dumped more water on us than this one did." For those who had to clear dozens of streets and walkways for the University community, this knowledge provides little consolation. University maintenance worker Jim Foire said the storms brought the worst weather he has seen during his 42-year residency in Philadelphia. "This weather is insane," he said. "I spent three entire days on campus shoveling, salting, opening drains and howling at the moon because I was so tired." Fry gave kudos to those who worked around the clock to clear the campus. "It was a heroic effort made by all the people involved to get the campus ready for students," Fry said. But now the University is ready for the spring semester to begin. "We're pretty well dug out of all campus roads and walkways," Wargo said. "Right now, the snow itself is concentrated on intersections, which is dangerous because of the fact that visibility is limited at crosswalks."