Several inches are expected to fall throughout today ahead of the storm, which is expected to continue into Wednesday morning.

The storm is expected to create dangerous conditions for motorists and pedestrians alike, said Bob Suttle, a specialist at the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids.

“It’s not fit for man nor beast,” said Suttle, adding such storms occur once every 12-15 years.

Despite the conditions, students hoping for a university-wide class cancellation might be out of luck. Officials have only made that move twice in MSU’s history, according to MSU’s University Archives and Historical Collection.

The last time such a call was made occurred in 1975, when nearly 13 inches of snow fell.
But administrators prefer to leave the decision up to professors, said Fred Poston, MSU’s treasurer and vice president for finance and operations.

Poston, in conjunction with MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon and Provost Kim Wilcox, is responsible for any mandate courses across the university be canceled. The trio consults with a number of units within MSU, including MSU police and the Physical Plant Division, before making a final decision.

The factors administrators consider include whether snow plows are able to clear university roads and parking lots and updates from the National Weather Service, Poston said.

“It’s mostly just monitoring the situation and trying to gauge if hazards develop,” Poston said. “Obviously, it takes quite a bit for us to officially cancel classes.”

Although she likely will attend classes still scheduled regardless of the weather, anthropology junior Danielle Nielsen said holding classes after heavy snowfall is somewhat “ridiculous.”

“I think it’s kind of pointless,” said Nielsen, who either drives or takes the bus from Okemos. “I’m one of the people that still goes, but when that happens, I’m one of maybe three people that goes to class.”

University administrators, professors and students are not the only ones keeping tabs on the impending storm.

Workers at the Physical Plant and East Lansing’s Department of Public Works are preparing emergency vehicles and equipment.

Gerald Dobbs, ground maintenance manager for MSU Landscape Services, said the university’s grounds crew will spray roads and parking lots with salt and a brine solution to try to stave off the negative effects of snowfall and any ice that forms. After that, it’s a matter of letting the plows get to work.

“People are aware they need to be ready for the snowstorm,” Dobbs said. “We look forward to the challenge.”

Whatever the outcome of the storm, Poston said administrators are mindful of potential impacts to the university.

“I am worried about it and we’re sitting here watching (the storm),” Poston said. “I think tomorrow we’ll be putting out a message, talking to people and reminding them of the processes of canceling class. The rest of it, we just have to wait and see how it develops.”