Kent State extends campus closure through Friday

A university vehicle parks near the library during the campus closure on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. The university announced Thursday evening the closure would extend through Friday, Feb. 4, 2022 due to severe weather conditions. 

Ella Donovan

A university vehicle parks near the library during the campus closure on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. The university announced Thursday evening the closure would extend through Friday, Feb. 4, 2022 due to severe weather conditions. 

Owen MacMillan Digital Content Manager

All Kent State University campuses will remain closed Friday due to winter storm Landon.

The university announced in an email Wednesday night that campus would be closed Thursday, and an advisory sent around 6 p.m. Thursday evening extended that closure through the weekend.

“All Kent State Campuses will be closed Friday, Feb. 4, due to the continuation of severe weather in our areas,” the email said.

This second day in a row, and the third time this semester, the university closed campus due to winter weather. 

Kent State groundskeepers and operators began removing snow on campus at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, which proved to be challenging as the snowfall continued throughout the day. 

All in-person classes are canceled, but professors may choose to hold synchronous online class sessions in their place. Classes that are already online-only will be unaffected.

The closure applies to the main campus as well as all of Kent State’s regional campuses. All Kent State offices will be closed, while dining halls and help desks will follow their usual hours.

The Student Center and Beverly J. Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center will remain open with adjusted hours, with both opening at 10 a.m. 

The university email informed students to check the pages of the library and DeWeese Health Center for potential adjusted hours.

The university asked students and staff to remain indoors throughout the closure.

“For your safety, please stay indoors when possible,” the email stated. “When traveling outdoors is necessary, exercise extreme caution to avoid frostbite, hypothermia or other cold weather health issues, which can occur quickly.”

Normal university operations are expected to resume at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4.

The National Weather Service of Cleveland estimated 1-2 inches of snow accumulation per hour in Northeast Ohio, and considers road conditions to be “very difficult.” 

Owen MacMillan is a digital content manager. Contact him at [email protected]