Liberty University Closes For Snow Multiple Times In February

Several inches of snow covered Liberty University’s campus after a winter storm hit Virginia last week.  

“Another week is here, and another winter storm system is expected to develop across the Commonwealth, bringing widespread snow to much of the state with a slight chance of wintry mix in the southeast,” the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said ahead of the snowstorm.  

The prevalence of winter storms over the past couple of weeks has proven to be difficult for Liberty University. The campus closed three times — along with two delayed openings — within a span of nine days as a result of the weather.  

The sequence of this week’s events began Tuesday when students received a notification about Campus Community being moved from Wednesday night to Tuesday night in expectation of heavy snowfall that would start the next morning.  

“I like that they moved it (Campus Community) this week and we at least got to have it because I was sad last week when we didn’t,” graduate student Lucille Carter said. 

Before Campus Community began on Tuesday night, students received word that Liberty’s campus would be closed all day Wednesday.  

The email from Liberty University read, “VDOT has advised our community to adjust travel plans around the weather and stay off the roads once the storm arrives as treacherous road conditions are expected to develop.” 

As students were enjoying the snow day on Wednesday, they received a notification around 7 p.m. that the university would delay its opening to 11 a.m. on Thursday.  

Most students enjoyed the break from school and other responsibilities.  

“I was thankful for the Lord providing us with a forced Sabbath. I feel like this is the time of the semester when it’s hard to stay motivated and joyful. So, the snow days are a good cozy rest,” Carter said.  

But these snowy conditions also brought challenges for some professors who had to change their schedules. Stephen Bell, professor of English, notified the students in his morning classes that they would meet via Microsoft Teams. 

“I figured the snow might at least delay my morning classes, so I conveyed to my classes two days before that our contingency plan would be to meet on Teams and for my students to continue to check their email … for any delays or cancellations,” Bell said.  

Bell noted that two of his 100-level courses are behind schedule because of the snow. 

The conditions of the roads also made it difficult for commuter students to make it to campus and attend their classes.  

“My neighborhood was a sheet of ice and snow, and I still had to go into class,” junior Blake Bennett, an off-campus student, said. “I almost drifted into someone’s yard while trying to get here (campus), so it’s definitely for the best when they cancel.”  

According to Certified Snowfall Totals, the Lynchburg area has experienced more than twice the snowfall events this January and February than last year. Liberty’s campus hasn’t seen a winter with this much snowfall in at least three years.  

Weather Spark reported that on average, the lowest temperature in Lynchburg does not fall below 33 degrees, with the most common average for this time of year usually holding around 40 degrees. But Underground Weather recorded that the average temperature during this winter storm was 29 degrees and fell to 20 degrees multiple times.  

Liberty encouraged students who decided to venture outside in the cold weather to stay prepared. The recommendations given by the university through email included staying indoors when possible, sticking to main roads when driving and using the Champion Safe app for relevant updates.  

Though the weather felt bone-chilling for multiple days, the Weather Channel is predicting an uptick in temperatures. The seven-day forecast is calling for highs in the 50s and even reaching the 60s only a week after the winter storm. 

Mullet is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion.