Purchase Rocked by First Blizzard in a Decade

By Nolan Locke and Summer Tyler

For the first time since 2016, a blizzard hit Purchase, bringing in around 14-20 inches of snow to the Westchester area.

The blizzard, labeled a “bomb cyclone” for its high winds and sudden extreme drop in pressure, hit the campus suddenly and left over a foot of snow in its wake.

The storm also prompted Westchester County to close its roads at 9 p.m. on Sunday night in an effort to keep drivers off the roads in dangerous conditions.

Ahead of the storm, some students were worried about the conditions, especially those living on campus. “The snow starts melting, and it snows again?!,” said Ethan Luce, a senior creative writing major. “I was just starting to see grass again!”

The Quad covered in roughly a foot of snow (Photo by Cage Evinger)

Purchase College President Michael Steiper sent an urgent storm update via email on Sunday night, informing students and faculty that “Monday’s classes and campus offices will be virtual.” The update also states how the storm is bringing in “dangerously strong winds, low visibility and heavy snowfall that will continue throughout the night and into tomorrow.”

This isn’t the first time Purchase College has had to resort to virtual classes, with many students growing frustrated. “It feels like we’ve had a lot of virtual days,” said Ryan Duran, a junior communications major. “It makes me feel like the semester didn’t even start. For me, it almost feels nonexistent. It feels like the semester just started, but we are already like a third of the way done, which is crazy.”

“I don't think I learn as much through a computer screen,” said Emilia Mariol, a senior communications major. “I also miss seeing people as well when we’re virtual.”  

The snowstorm may also make it difficult for commuter students returning to campus. “There are obviously road closures, but sometimes we can’t even make it out of our own driveways by the time classes are back in session,” said Samantha Cancro, a commuter. “On top of that, the plows pile the snow so high on the corners of the roads that you can’t even see if there’s any oncoming traffic when you’re about to turn, so even just getting to class is difficult.”

Cancro also noted that it wasn’t just the commute that makes snow difficult for commuters. “There's so much snow, there's really nowhere on campus for them to put it all, so a lot of the West 1 parking lot spaces are icy or half-filled with snow. It has made it super hard to park on campus.”

Buried cars in the East 4 parking lot (Photo by Cage Evinger)

Purchase College Facilities already has contingencies for big storms like this. “The college follows the Snow Response Plan as detailed on the Facilities website,” said Lukas Gunderson, head of Facilities. “We encourage the community to review for any relevant information, but during ongoing snow conditions, the campus prioritizes clearing roadways and pathways related to emergency egress, building entrances/exits, accessibility needs and salting cleared areas as appropriate.”

Gunderson also expects this storm's cleanup to be easier than the previous one, even though there is more snow. “Once snowfall concludes, this affords our team the ability to address remaining areas and pathways in a systematic approach. The previous snowstorm was difficult, given the extreme temperatures that produced a “thaw/freeze” cycle for several days. While this storm poses its own difficulties due to strong wind conditions and heavy snow, we are expecting that cleanup efforts will be smoother overall.”

One Facilities snowplow is stuck and being dug out by another (Photo by Cage Evinger)

All dining services on campus, besides the Dining Hall, which is open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., are closed due to the storm conditions.

Even with dining options open, some students wonder how limited options may affect those living on campus. “I’m lucky enough to have a kitchen and have supplied myself with enough food,” said Liam Lawler, a senior communications major. “But I wonder what’s going to happen to people without that luxury, who rely on meal plans like freshmen.”

The forecast predicts another 2 inches of snow on Wednesday, and the college has announced that Tuesday classes will also be virtual. However, the Hub, The Market and Starbucks will be reopened and operate under their regular hours.