'Snowverkill' Commences: Mason Closes for Third Day Due to Weather

With more snow and wind on the way, and resident and commuter safety on everyone's minds, George Mason University will remain closed tomorrow, Feb. 10. 
(Photo taken via camera phone by C2M Executive Editor Kevin Loker)
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In a decision that marks the third snow day of the year — as well as the beginning of ‘Snowverkill’ — George Mason University will remain closed on Wednesday, Feb. 10, due to inclement weather.

The snowstorm prompting the decision comes after the area was hit with record snowfall last weekend. Starting tonight, more snow is projected to hit the greater D.C. area and continue through Wednesday, with accumulation predictions ranging everywhere from between six to 20 inches. 

Press Secretary Dan Walsch confirmed the closing shortly after the men’s basketball game Tuesday evening against Virginia Commonwealth University, with its posting on the university’s website and Facebook pages soon thereafter. A message was also sent through the Mason Alert system, which reaches students and faculty in batches.

“I completely expected them to close,” said sophomore government and international politics major Andrew DeCelle. “To be honest, I was surprised they didn’t announce the closing before the game, or during it even.”

The university’s announcement, which came later in the evening than the past two snow days, meant Mason was one of the last to join a long list of area institutions that had already decided to remain closed. By the time the announcement was posted on the university’s website, nearby Northern Virginia Community College and many other D.C. area colleges, including George Washington University and Howard University, had announced their decisions.

The federal government announced it would remain closed earlier today as well. Fairfax County Public Schools announced its decision to remain closed through Wednesday earlier this week.

“I walked over to [Route] 123 earlier, and it just looked like a river,” said DeCelle. “Even if the school were to have been open, it would have been nuts trying to get here. That’s only going to ice over with the snow.” Mass transit has also announced closings for tomorrow. As of 8:45 p.m., the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority was limiting its operation of underground train routes, and canceling its bus routes.  

According to Regional District Manager of Sodexo Denise Ammaccapane, Dining Services will to continue to operate its services tomorrow as they did Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 8 and 9. Management and staff will be staying overnight at a nearby hotel tonight, as they this past weekend, in order to provide the service.

Earlier in the day, the Mason Alert system sent out a message from the Provost announcing that today’s originally scheduled deadline for dropping classes with a 33 percent tuition liability for non-law, full semester classes will be rescheduled “once classes resume.” The announcement said the university also “appreciated everyone’s patience in this time of weather-related disruption.”

“I just hope this doesn’t add days to the calendar,” said DeCelle. “I’m not entirely sure how that works.”