$72,000 saved this year due to lack of snow

Oksana Pawlush

Staff Writer

Winter normally comes with poor weather conditions, no parking spots and dashing across campus in temperatures 20 degrees below zero.

This winter has been one of the warmest winters on record, with students and faculty celebrating. The lack of snowfall this winter helped the college with a large sum of money, as the college spent almost $95,000 last year on snow. They spent $45,000 on external plow contracts and $50, 000 on salt and ice melt this time last year.

So far this year, the college has only spent $23,000 on salt and ice melt. Dennis Kennedy, director of communications and marketing, says that the lack of snowfall has helped to prevent interruptions in courses and scheduling at the college.

“The college didn’t have to pay for overtime expenses for employees who are brought in to plow and clear walkways, or suffer a loss of money from interrupted sponsored campus events due to cancellations,” said Kennedy.

Hudson Valley students also suffered from the winter weather last year.  Multiple students mentioned constant unplowed parking lots and snowy sidewalks. Students had to juggle coming to school in bad weather to attend class, or staying home where it was safe and warm. This led to students playing the catch-up game in classwork after cancellations or college closings.

Computer information systems major Andy Seay recalls having to battle the weather last year during his commute to school. “In order to hit the interstate, I had to go down a rather steep hill, so there was always a bit of terror when it was icy out,” said Seay. “You were always afraid that you couldn’t make it up the hill and then you’d slide back down into oncoming traffic,” he said.

With only a few snowfalls here and there, the students and faculty haven’t had to deal with the headache of canceled classes, hard commutes and bitterly cold temperatures. The college has also been saved from another costly winter.