ALERT: Winter Storm Warning in effect through midnight Friday, 1/12; Campus Closed 7 p.m. tonight through 8 a.m. Sunday, 1/14

Jan 11, 2024

Dear faculty and staff,

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning from 9 p.m. today, Thursday, January 11, through midnight on Friday, January 12. This storm will have the following impacts for the Grinnell area and the majority of central Iowa:

Significant chance of 5 or more inches of snow, with up to 11 inches possible.
Light snow accumulation will begin later this evening, with the heaviest snowfall overnight and through mid-day Friday.
Snow will be fluffier and more susceptible to blowing and drifting.
Wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour will lead to near-blizzard conditions later Friday and into Saturday afternoon, making travel hazardous.
Bitter cold temperatures and windchills in the negative 30’s (Fahrenheit) will accompany this storm.

Additionally, the City of Grinnell has issued a “travel not advised” notice for all day Friday through 12 p.m. noon on Saturday. A city snow emergency will begin Thursday evening. The police department will continue to ticket cars parked on the streets.

What this means for you:

Campus will remain open until 5 p.m. today, Thursday, January 11, for community access. The Bear will close at 7 p.m. Employees on campus today should monitor travel conditions and arrange with their supervisor to leave early as necessary.

The College will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 12 through 8 a.m. Sunday, January 14

Specifically:

Buildings will be closed for public and campus community access, including Burling Library, the Grinnell Museum of Art, the Bear Recreation and Athletic Center, and the Pioneer Bookshop.
Administrative and academic offices will shift to remote work according to the inclement weather policy.
Essential staff within Facilities Management, Dining, and Campus Safety will report to campus as scheduled.
Staff or faculty that are not required to report to campus should remain home or off campus to allow Facilities Management to safely address snow removal.

Any staff not working their scheduled hours due to the campus closure should code their hours as “CLSD” unless already on scheduled vacation.

With supervisor approval, non-exempt employees that can work remotely during the duration of the closing should do so and should mark their time as TELW. This will be paid at the base pay rate for scheduled hours worked. Meetings can continue virtually through the duration of the closing.

Essential non-exempt staff in Facilities Management, Dining, Campus Safety who are required to work on campus during this weather-related closing will be paid two times their regular hourly wage for scheduled hours worked by coding their hours as “CLSD” AND “WRKD”.

Essential staff working on campus through the duration of the storm should continue to monitor travel conditions or early school dismissals and coordinate with their supervisor if they must depart early, arrive late, or need other accommodations. Campus community members reporting to campus should avoid parking on city streets to ensure compliance with city snow emergency ordinances. These resources may be helpful in your planning:

Road Conditions: Iowa 511 Travel Information or download the Iowa 511 app on Android or Apple devices.
Weather Forecasts: National Weather Service – Des Moines Office.
Inclement weather policy and essential staff information is available in the employee handbook.
City of Grinnell Snow Emergencies parking information.

Attached is the most recent weather briefing packet provided by the National Weather Service – Des Moines office. Please note that the PDF may not meet College accessibility requirements and those using screen readers may experience difficulties.

We will send additional updates as needed if the delays or closures are extended.

Thank you,

Heather Cox