Duke is activating its severe weather and emergency conditions policy from 12 a.m. to noon Wednesday due to icy conditions on campus, according to a Tuesday night DukeAlert.
The announcement -- affecting the University, including the School of Medicine and School of Nursing -- comes after Housing and Residence Life emailed students Tuesday afternoon with a severe winter weather alert. The email noted that subfreezing temperatures are expected to persist until Thursday, with wind chill values ranging from zero to 10 degrees.
As of 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Duke University Health System has yet to activate the policy, though most Duke Health clinics will operate on a delayed schedule in response to weather conditions. Duke employees in "essential service" roles were advised to "report to or remain at work" while the policy is active.
In response to the inclement weather, the University notified the community of operational changes that may occur across campus, noting that Duke staff should implement departmental severe weather plans "as appropriate."
Campus bus routes will run depending on the weather and safety of the roads. According to a Tuesday Duke Today article, all transportation services except the C1 bus and Duke Vans were discontinued starting at 9 p.m. Tuesday. To monitor available bus routes, community members can refer to TransLoc.
In accordance with the severe weather policy, some professors have also opted to move their morning in-person classes online. Regardless of the format instructors choose, the alert indicated that students "should not be penalized if unable to attend."
The Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort is also expected to get up to six inches of snow and has activated its severe weather policy from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 5 p.m. Wednesday.
To stay updated with the latest developments, community members can check emergency.duke.edu, as well as the Campus Service Updates website, which provides information on parking, bus routes, dining facilities and stores.