Boston is expected to receive 6 to 8 inches of snow Friday in the first winter storm of the season, with the brunt of the storm expected to hit during the morning rush hour. Photo by Jacob Chang-Rascle (COM’22)

University News

查尔斯河校区周五因大雪关闭； Medical Campus Will Remain Open

COVID-19 collection sites, testing labs will be closed; essential employees must report as scheduled

Boston University’s Charles River Campus will be closed Friday due to the first significant snowfall of the season, expected to start early in the morning, while the Medical Campus will remain open. Boston is expected to get 6 to 8 inches, the worst of it expected to hit during morning rush hour.

All COVID-19 testing labs and collection sites will be closed for the day, and will reopen Saturday. Anyone who has an appointment scheduled for Friday should reschedule that appointment for another available day, as soon as possible. The collection sites at 808 Commonwealth Ave., on the Medical Campus, and at the Annex (for those who are symptomatic) will be open on Saturday during the regular hours. Anyone concerned about missing a test should contact their supervisor, and students should contact the Dean of Students office at dos@bu.edu or at 617-353-4126.

For those who are on campus (regular spring semester classes are not scheduled to start until January 20), the following BU retail locations will be open: City Convenience at Warren Towers, City Convenience at the George Sherman Union, and Raising Cane’s. The Barnes & Noble@BU Bookstore will also be open. FitRec and Mugar Library will be closed but will reopen on Saturday and the BU Shuttle will not operate on Friday, but will resume service on Saturday. Also, the men’s hockey game against Arizona State University at Agganis Arena will go on as scheduled at 7:30 pm. The women’s hockey game, which was scheduled to take place at Boston College, has been postponed. 

Under BU’s revised policy that was approved last year, the snow day for the Charles River Campus means that, whether or not a person is scheduled to work remotely, virtual meetings are canceled and it is essentially a paid day off for most nonessential employees.

On-campus essential employees must report as scheduled; essential services include, but are not limited to, University Police, Residence Life, Dining Services, Student Health Services, BU Libraries, Facilities Management & Operations, Environmental Health & Safety, Residential Safety, Mail Services, Network Services, and the Dean of Students.

Other points:

• The Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and its Patient Treatment Centers will be closed. Classes are canceled. GSDM students on externship should check the policy at their respective externship site.

• With Medical Campus classes being held remotely through January 18, MED and School of Public Health staff are being asked to check with their managers regarding their work schedules, and managers are urged to be flexible with remote work plans to reduce unnecessary travel.

• MED students, as well as Physician Assistant and Graduate Medical Sciences students who are assigned to inpatient services or clinics are expected to be present, if possible, while students assigned to outpatient services should check with their course director and clinical site.

• The Alumni Medical Library will be closed. (The L11 Testing Center will be open 6:30 am to 6 pm)

After a largely snowless start to winter in Greater Boston, the storm Friday is expected to dump at least a half foot across portions of Massachusetts, with flakes starting to fall around 3 am. A vast number of school districts had canceled classes by Thursday evening, including Boston and Brookline. A winter storm warning from the National Weather Service has been issued for all of Rhode Island, except Block Island, and for much of eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, from 1 am through 4 pm on Friday. The weather service says the heaviest snow is expected in those areas, with up to 10 inches possible in southeastern Massachusetts.

Because it’s expected to be a cold day, with temperatures mostly in the 20s, the snow should be lighter and fluffier around Boston (Cape Cod could see a mix with freezing rain). But the storm is not expected to be accompanied by high winds or power outages, and by Friday evening the snow should end and give way to a mostly sunny Saturday.

Governor Charlie Baker said in a statement Thursday that the state is ready, but also urged employers to be reasonable to keep roads clear. “Our Administration is closely monitoring this storm and we want everyone to stay off the roads and to take public transit if possible tomorrow. In addition, we urge employers to be flexible with workers and plan for difficult conditions on the roads tomorrow. Crews will be out treating roadways and plowing around the clock, and we ask everyone to give them the room they need to clear the roads.”