Adverse Weather Conditions
During adverse weather conditions, Purdue’s primary concern is its employees’ safety. Ensuring that the facilities are maintained is the secondary concern. The following sections summarize the University’s policies relating to adverse weather conditions. For more details,the Adverse Weather Conditions Policy, available at www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva6.html.
Hazardous Driving Conditions
If an employee is absent from work, arrives late or leaves early due to hazardous driving conditions (e.g., fog, ice or snow), the employee must request authorization for his or her absence under a University paid leave of absence policy, unpaid leave policy or the personal holiday policy.
Snow Emergency
After an unusually heavy snowfall, severe drifting or when either of the foregoing is certain and imminent, the vice president for physical facilities may declare a “snow emergency.” If an employee is absent from work, arrives late or leaves early during a snow emergency, the employee must request authorization for his or her absence under a University paid leave of absence policy, unpaid leave policy or the personal holiday policy.
Snow Recess
If most roads and streets are virtually impassable, the University president or, in the president’s absence, the executive vice president and treasurer and the provost, may declare a “snow recess.”
When the University declares a “snow recess,” students should return to their residences and not report for classes until further notice. The University will ask most staff members to leave the University and not to report for work until further notice. However, the University will request that essential personnel report for work or remain at work to ensure the continued operation of the University’s essential services. Human Resources will notify departments of pay practices during a snow recess. The University will provide emergency housing and meal facilities at University expense to essential personnel.
Parking Regulations for Snow
Emergency or Snow Recess
• When a “snow emergency” or “snow recess” is declared, parking on campus will be restricted to facilitate snow removal.
• Signs will be posted in parking lots where parking is prohibited. The lots will be reopened as soon as snow removal is completed.
• Parking will be permitted in the parking garages under normal parking regulations applying to the use of garages.
Tornadoes or Other Outdoor Hazards
The University’s exterior all-hazards warning sirens are an integral part of the Tippecanoe Emergency Management Agency’s siren system and the Purdue alert emergency notification system. As such, they are used to alert people to not only tornado warnings, but also to other potentially life-threatening disasters (i.e., chemical releases). Consequently, when the sirens are activated for other than test purposes, employees should take shelter and quickly tune to local TV and radio stations, or access the campus emergency status page at www.purdue.edu/ea/ for further information about what action is required.
Wind Chill/Severe Weather Emergency
When existing or predicted low temperatures and wind conditions pose a severe health threat to students walking to and from class, the University president or, in the president’s absence, the designee may declare a “severe weather emergency.” When a severe weather emergency has been declared, classes will be suspended. However, because most employees have short walks from the parking lots or garages to their buildings, all University employees who can do so safely should report to work. Those who do not report to work when scheduled must request authorization for the absence under a University paid leave of absence policy, unpaid leave policy or a personal holiday.