by ANNE BAKER
News Editor

Students returning to Appalachian State University after a weekend at home were met with blizzard-like conditions as up to 15 inches of snow blanketed the High Country all day Sunday and early Monday.

The snowstorm was the largest in over 10 years, with the last record-breaking snow on Jan. 27, 1998, according to Ray’s Weather Center.

Due to outside conditions Appalachian decided to cancel classes Monday, as temperatures did not rise above freezing, leaving roads covered with a layer of ice and snow.

The university operated on a delay Tuesday, and all classes before 9:30 a.m. were canceled.
Elizabeth Harris from the records office at the Boone Police Department said calls came in both Sunday and Monday regarding motor vehicle accidents due to the weather.

Nine accidents related to snow were reported, she said.

Numerous businesses in the area were also closed due to the storm, including the AppalCART, and no buses  ran Monday.

Watauga County Schools were also closed both Monday and Tuesday, and according to the school system’s Web site, classes are scheduled to be in session Saturday to make up the missed days.

After the snowstorm left the Boone area, it continued to move north, with winter storm warnings in effect Monday afternoon from the Washington area to Maine, according to CNN.com.

The warnings were issued because an average of six or more inches of snow was expected in a 12-hour period, or eight or more inches were expected over a 24-hour period.

CNN also said New York City was especially hit hard with the area covered in a foot of snow, and the New York City public school district declared its first snow day in five years.

The process in which Appalachian’s classes are canceled or delayed is an extensive one, with several members of the administration directly involved.

Recommendations are made to Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock by Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Stan R. Aeschleman and Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs Greg Lovins.

“We try to be as thorough as we can in making a decision that is safety conscious,” Lovins said in an interview Feb. 4. “Safety is our number one concern, but we also know that being in a higher elevation we are better equipped to handle the weather.”

Before making a recommendation to Chancellor Peacock, Lovins also contacts the Boone Police Department around 5 a.m. to discuss road conditions, and then talks with the AppalCART office to determine if buses are still running on a regular schedule.

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