Charles River Campus Covered in White Cleanup proceeds, along with snow angel parties

The big cleanup begins. Photo by Richard Taffe

The most powerful winter storm to hit Boston in several years, bringing two feet of snow and winds up to 65 miles per hour, closed the Charles River Campus on Friday and sent many Medical Campus employees home at noon. University administrators say it is too soon to tell if either campus will be open on Monday.

Tom Daley, associate vice president of Facilities Management & Planning, says the cleanup on campus is going smoothly, with at least 100 people working since 5 a.m. Saturday, and with 20 trucks hauling snow from sidewalks and parking lots. Students have found other ways to use the snow: several hundred reportedly gathered on the Esplanade late last night, called by a Facebook invitation to make snow angels.

Public transportation in Boston and the suburbs is not running on Sunday, and the MBTA said it hopes to restore service by Monday. A statewide travel ban that started at 4 p.m. Friday was lifted at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Craig Hill, vice president of Auxiliary Services, says BU dining halls are open and are staffed partly by students filling in for employees unable to get to work. For complete information about which dining halls are open, visit the Dining Services website.

The Fitness & Recreation Center will be open for informal recreation from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, February 10. The following programs will run as scheduled: intramurals, club practices taking place in FitRec, and the EMS clinic. All other lessons, classes, and programs are canceled for Sunday.

Mugar Memorial Library will reopen Sunday at 10 a.m.

BUS (Boston University Shuttle) service was suspended on Saturday.

The George Sherman Union is open.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston issued a reminder that the Sunday Mass obligation does not apply if there is “grave difficulty” in fulfilling it. Marsh Chapel will hold its regular 11 a.m. Sunday worship.

Saturday night’s Passion Pit concert at Agganis Arena has been postponed to Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

BU Today will provide updates on the University’s response to the storm as more information is available.

More information about emergency procedures and advice is available here from the University’s Environmental Health & Safety Emergency Communications.

Events

Steven Hall, vice president for alumni relations, says that Winterfest has been postponed. Hall says most Winterfest events planned for this weekend have been rescheduled for February 22 and 23.

The Friday night men’s ice hockey game against Merrimack at Agganis Arena has been rescheduled to Tuesday, February 26, at 7 p.m. The planned pregame hockey tailgate will take place on Friday, February 22, before the UMass Lowell game at Agganis Arena.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore (SED’87) says the Back Bay Ball, scheduled for Saturday night, has been postponed until March 1.

BU Today invites all event schedulers to post cancellations or postponements in the comments section below.