Penn students will trade classrooms for winter weather activities for the third time this semester as a blizzard warning brings yet another snow day.
According to a University-wide email, “instructors may choose to teach their course online tomorrow, synchronously or asynchronously,” on Feb. 23, and only essential services will remain open. The announcement, released as a UPennAlert around 4:49 p.m. on Sunday, encouraged community members to “please exercise caution and take your time in traveling to campus.”
“Instructors would need to inform students in their courses of their instructional plans, while allowing their students flexibility in case they are unable to participate remotely,” the statement continued. “Instructors choosing to teach must also be able to hold the class online without assistance from staff (since non-essential staff are not required to work).”
According to the statement, all public safety resources will remain available during the closure — including DPS, Dining Services, Facilities and Real Estate Services, and other select campus operations.
In preparation for the storm, Penn Dining rolled out a modified Sunday schedule for several of its locations. Pottruck Health and Fitness Center will also close at 3 p.m. on Sunday due to the weather.
The latest forecast from the National Weather Service predicts “a potentially historic winter storm,” which would bring “significant snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding.” A blizzard warning took effect in Philadelphia at 10 a.m. on Sunday and will last until 6 p.m. on Feb. 23.
During a Saturday press conference, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker — a 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate — declared a snow emergency starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Parker and other city officials encouraged Philadelphia residents to move their vehicles off the city’s designated routes to allow crews to better prepare roads.
“We will do whatever it takes to clear our streets and keep Philadelphia safe. We will use every tactic and every strategy necessary to clear our streets as swiftly and efficiently as possible,” Parker said.
SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer warned riders to expect delays because of the storm, predicting that SEPTA’s bus, trolley, and Regional Rail services would experience “significant disruptions.”
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission also announced vehicle restrictions on several major highways beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, potentially reducing speed limits to 45 mph on affected roadways.
On Saturday, Superintendent Tony Watlington announced that all School District of Philadelphia school buildings would shift to virtual operations on Monday and cancel all after-school activities “out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of our entire school community.”
“District leadership is closely monitoring weather conditions across our region, in accordance with the District’s Inclement Weather Protocol,” Watlington wrote. “We hope to be able to return to normal operations on Tuesday, February 24.”
The closure comes less than a month after Penn suspended operations for two consecutive days following the January winter storm that brought nine inches of snow and hazardous conditions to the Philadelphia region.
A string of water-related infrastructure issues affected buildings across Penn’s campus due to the previous winter weather. From flooded hallways to frozen fan coil units, multiple college houses sustained damage that affected residents. Plumbing issues underneath and around Locust Walk also impeded access to academic buildings and community spaces.
Senior reporter Christine Oh leads coverage of student life and can be reached at oh@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies English and philosophy. Follow her on X @ChristineOh_.
