A winter storm Tuesday created several problems for Lansing and East Lansing residents traveling in the area.
As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the Lansing area had received 8.1 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service's Grand Rapids branch.
Accidents involving buses from the Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, delayed some students' arrivals to their classes.
"We had two or three buses get stuck in the morning," said Dwight Smith, director of operations for CATA. "We go down some narrow streets and places that have not been cleaned out."
Smith said CATA drivers are trained to drive defensively but receive no special training for extreme winter weather conditions.
"A truly defensive driver does the right things on snow days," he said. "The drivers are in those vehicles for eight to nine hours a day - they know them pretty well."
Other drivers reported trouble commuting. Communication junior Nick Bogus said he hates the snow because it makes his car hard to operate.
"I drive an '89 Formula 350 Firebird, and it sucks in the snow," he said. "It just made me late for class."
Some questioned why the university didn't close when travel was severely impacted by the weather.
MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said closing the university because of weather conditions doesn't happen often, but health and safety always are a part of the decision-making process.
MSU shut down in 1967 for the first time after 26 inches of snow fell. In 1978, the university closed again, but for two days, after 24 inches accumulated, Denbow said.
"It is an MSU tradition to keep the school open," he said.
The storm, which began on Sunday evening, was expected to last through Tuesday night, said David Beachler, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
About 1-2 additional inches of snow were expected Tuesday evening, Beachler added.
"It's crazy Michigan weather," pre-law and general business administration freshman Neda Nikoui said. "Tomorrow, it'll probably be 50 degrees or something.
"That's what you get for living in Michigan."
Staff writers Darrell Hughes and Jacqueline WayneGuite contributed to this report.
