The winter storm, which blanketed Southwestern Wyoming, causes obstacles not only for the drivers but troubles UW students too.
Feb.18, everyone in Laramie received the travel alert, which informed about the coming snow storm and warned to be careful while traveling. The storm was expected to hit the city around 6 p.m. Sunday, however, the snow reached Laramie only overnight. Even though the weather on Monday morning was good, by 1 p.m. the blizzard began to set in.
“I got an alert as a text from the university, at around 2 p.m. Sunday,” UW student, Karan Sodhi, said. “To prepare for the winter storm I decided to stock up on groceries and made sure to get home before the winter storm warning was in effect.”
According to Google Public Alert, the significant accumulation of the snow is expected on Tuesday night.
“Be prepared for significant reductions in visibility at times. Cold wind chills as low as 20 below zero will cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin,” according to the alert.
Even though there is not much snow on Monday, it’s already caused obstacles for the students.
“It’s hard for me to go across campus in this snow,” a student with special needs, Oksana Kozlova, said. “My power wheelchair starts spinning around, and I cannot move without someone’s help. Talking about a manual wheelchair, it’s hard for me to walk too far on campus myself because the wheels get stuck.”
Also, the winter storm became an obstacle for the drivers, as it reduced visibility and make roads dangerous to drive on.
“I needed to drive to Denver International Airport tonight, to drop my friend off,” UW student, Shavinka Fernando, said. “Now, I’m not confident enough about going by car. It could be dangerous, as the roads are covered with snow. Moreover, US 287 road is closed.”
The Google Alert service gives suggestions on how to deal with winter storms:
- “Stay indoors during the storm – prolonged exposure to cold can cause hypothermia.
- Walk and drive carefully on icy sidewalks and roads – many injuries and accidents are caused by slippery conditions.
- Before driving, let someone know your destination, route, and expected time of arrival – if your car gets stuck, it’ll be easier to find you.
- If you lose feeling and color in your nose, ears, hands, or feet, cover the exposed area, avoid rubbing your skin, and seek medical help immediately – you may have frostbite.
- When shoveling snow, take breaks and lift lighter loads -working too hard can lead to heart attacks.
- Stay dry – wet clothes make you lose body heat, increasing your risk of hypothermia.”
