As the bitter, cold months are upon us, otherwise known as puffy coat weather, with intense wind chills, rain and snow falls, you most likely dread going outdoors. Instead of freezing your tail off, you’d rather stay indoors watching Netflix, or curled up on the couch drinking tea. However, Chicagoans face these wicked conditions at least five months of the year. From running errands, going to work or class or carrying on every day activities, life goes on and the bad weather is no excuse to stay indoors for us Mid-Westerners.
Other cities shut down at the sight of the snow, Chicago has become a seasoned pro when dealing with the blustery weather. Yet, the city was held up by snow almost three years ago when Chicago experienced, what has dubbed the name, snowpocalypse, when over 20 inches of snow covered the Chicagoland area. With this storm the city experienced winds as high as 60 mph, freezing part of Lake Michigan.
Up to date this was the only time Loyola University Chicago called for a snow day. The school had tried everything in their power to avoid cancelling class, but realized that their snow removing machines couldn’t keep up with Mother Nature. You bet the paths were cleared the very next day though as students bundled up and headed to class.
With a city that experiences such extreme weather, the maintenance facility at Loyola is prepared for whatever storm hits the campus. By responding immediately to any harsh weather forecasts and staying on top of salting walkways and removing snow, the university strives to keep the school year rolling.
After the snowfall over the weekend, Loyola maintenance crews on Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus worked diligently to clear sidewalks ensuring that students were able to commute easily to and from different buildings across campus. With Monday, December 9 being the official kick off day of finals week, the university wanted to make sure the paths were clear for students to get to where they needed to be on time.
None of us can predict what Mother Nature has in store for this winter, maybe another snowpocalypse, but students shouldn’t get distraught by all the fluffy white stuff. Instead, embrace the winter weather and attack the season head on with your fellow friends and continue to explore the city.
If you’d like to stay warm, spend your day in Water Tower place, visit one of the awesome museums you’ve always wanted to go to but never had the time or settle into a local coffee shop for the evening. If you feel like tackling the cold weather, bundle up and go to the Chriskindlmarket in Daley Center or ice-skate in Millennium Park. Don’t want to take public transportation? Get the Uber app on your phone or split the cab fare with friends. Whatever you do, go outside so that you can enjoy your time inside. Chicago has so much to offer and it would be a shame to miss out on the fun pouting over the cold weather.