Faculty, students return after snowstorm hits

A winter snowstorm hit the Texas Panhandle early Jan. 28, resulting in Amarillo College closing down all Amarillo campuses as well as the Hereford Campus for the rest of the week and weekend.

The Moore County Campus canceled all classes scheduled after noon on Friday.

The storm left cars and roads covered.  For many, the task of getting the car ready to drive and on the road proved to be the most time-consuming.

Daniel Garcia, a psychology major, said he was not able to leave his house for two days because he could not get his car out.

The National Weather Service reported that parts of Amarillo received 7 inches of snow and up to 10 inches in certain areas. AC, which only has one plow truck and a handful of pick-up trucks with plows installed, had three separate contractors aid in the cleanup.

They began clearing the campus Thursday morning, said Bruce Cotgreave, director of the physical plant.

When classes resumed on Monday, most of the parking lots had been cleared.

“It wasn’t terrible,” Garcia said when speaking of the parking. “I mean it’s always bad.”

Despite cleaning crews’ efforts, the snow that had been cleared away melted back into the roads and refroze overnight.

“Yesterday was my first time on campus,” said Ambrose Craver, a computer information systems major. “The roads were still slick. It was crazy.”

Temperatures above freezing and sunshine helped speed up the clearing process on Monday. The ice-covered roads from the morning had morphed into slush by the mid-afternoon.

By Tuesday, the majority of the parking lots and AC roads were clear and dry.

The streets along Memorial Park next to the Washington Street Campus will not be cleared by AC because they are city streets. City officials have told local news media that they will not be clearing neighborhood streets.

Forecasters predicted that Amarillo was to receive a second batch of snow this week and that the city will see some light snow today. Cotgreave said AC cleaning crews are prepared for the potential storm.

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