Freezing rain forced Western University to close its campus Wednesday with all classes, exams and on-campus events cancelled as of 12:30 p.m.

University spokesman Keith Marnoch said freezing rain overnight followed by steady rain throughout the morning has left campus walkways dangerously slippery.

"Conditions have continued to deteriorate and we're not in a situation to maintain our walkways to the level that we want," he said.

"As the rain continued, it basically washed away the snow and exposed ice that's becoming more treacherous now with the rain, so we're not able to keep it to a level that we're satisfied with, so we are closing for the remainder of the day."

The closure includes evening classes on the main campus and continuing studies.

All campus facilities — including libraries, athletic facilities and food services — will be closed at the university which serves a student population of more than 30,000 and some 4,000 staff members.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the university tweeted from its Student Experience account that students are encouraged to make arrangements to go home "as soon and as safely as possible."

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WesternU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WesternU</a> students are encouraged to make arrangements to go home as soon and as safely possible. Residences are open. For students living off campus, please note city buses continue to operate. If anyone needs assistance, please contact Student Experience wse@uwo.ca —@westernuSE

Other details about the closure:

Residences will continue to operate.

All campus activities for Wednesday afternoon and evening, including the campus-wide Leader's Forum, will not be held.

Thick ice on the windshield in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ldnont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ldnont</a> today. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ontstorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ontstorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/gKhEbjtszx">pic.twitter.com/gKhEbjtszx</a> —@CBCLondon

Marnoch said university operations are expected to resume to normal on Thursday, but asked that students follow the university's social media channels for updates.

"Our expectation is that we will be operating normally [Thursday] but we will have messaging ahead of the the beginning of our day," said Marnoch.

Other information can be found:

Staff and students are asked to check frequently for updates.

London Transit says buses will continue to operate at Western.

Even with the cancellations at <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WesternU</a> LTC will continue to operate regular service on campus and across the city, although experiencing some delays due to the weather and road conditions. We will update as needed. Check your route using <a href="https://t.co/Q1g8PxYYju">https://t.co/Q1g8PxYYju</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LdnOnt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LdnOnt</a> <a href="https://t.co/S9WH1vrZcG">https://t.co/S9WH1vrZcG</a> —@LTCLdnOnt

Classes at Fanshawe College are not cancelled.