On the week of Feb. 10, University of West Georgia and Georgia State University students were faced with harsh weather conditions in Carrollton and the Atlanta Metropolitan area due to significant amount of ice and snow on the roads and highways. This ultimately led to several canceled days of class.
On Monday, class was held as usual and most students either walked from their apartments or on campus dorm to class. Commuters also drove their usual long and short distances to reach campus safely and on time. That morning, however, most weather news sources and online databases for Carrollton and Atlanta students mentioned the possibility of snow at midnight. Midnight arrived and there was no snow in the Carrollton area near campus, but class was still cancelled.
It was determined that campus would be closed to prevent students and faculty from getting stuck on the roads and highways that might be covered with snow and ice before the end of the week. The last snowstorm did result in many people in the metropolitan area being trapped on the interstate for 72 hours or longer due to the icy state of the roads.
Although snow was predicted on Feb. 11 at midnight, ice did not form until later that afternoon in Carrollton. Most residents in the Carrollton area could look out their window and see large glistening icicles forming on tree branches, cars and fences. The ground was moist and by the evening of Feb. 11, a thin layer of ice could be seen on the ground and on the roads.
However, some students did experience think layers of ice that reminded them of the snowstorm from a few weeks ago.
“Some things are fun only when it does not happen often,” said Iniki Franklin, junior. “This snow storm is one of those things.”
Franklin lives in the off campus apartments called The University Lofts. She experienced layers of ice and low temperatures but never had to face the issue of a power outage. Carrollton Crossing Apartments is an apartment complex located across from the Bowdon and Downs dormitory halls. This complex did face a power outage that lasted from Feb. 12 at 6:10 pm to Feb. 13 at 9:30 am.
Residents at this complex did a variety of things before, during and after the blackout. Before the blackout residents went to local grocery stores to purchase flashlights and blankets to keep them warm when the electricity turned the heat off.
During the blackout, residents also decided to go home to their friends or family members who lived in places where there was still power. Other residents who worked at nursing homes or hospitals stayed there and worked over time because there was heat at their work places and internet so they could charge their phones in order to contact their families.
Georgia State University students also faced issues with the snow and ice since it is one of the largest commuter schools in the state of Georgia.
“My first day back to campus was on Friday and snow was constantly being shoveled,” said Amanda Turmel, a commuter student at GSU. “I actually slipped on some ice that hadn’t been shoveled off to the side.”
UWG was able to have school on Feb. 14 as well with caution to some patches of ice on the road or sidewalks. However, most of the ice and snow had melted by the end of the week
