UPDATE » Snow

Boise State is Open and Monitoring Snow Conditions

Kathleen Tuck — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:11:31 +0000

Boise State University is operating under normal conditions and plans to remain open. Check back later in the day for any possible updates.

Boise State University commuters should be prepared for a difficult commute on Wednesday afternoon. Make sure you have fuel, traction devices and other emergency supplies in your car. Also, leave plenty of extra time to allow for safe, slow driving. You don’t want to be in a rush.

The National Weather Service is predicting that the Treasure Valley could receive from 4-8 inches of snow throughout today, so the afternoon commute will be impacted. Be especially careful when approaching bridges and overpasses.

UPDATE at 11:30 a.m. — Two Boise State classes tonight at Mountain Home Air Force Base have been cancelled as the Wing Commander has closed the base to all but essential personnel.

UPDATE at 3:30 p.m. — Bachelor of social work courses at Boise State’s Twin Falls location have been cancelled for today based on local weather conditions.

Be Prepared for Snow this Week

Kathleen Tuck — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:10:06 +0000

Snow is predicted for the Treasure Valley and could impact the first days of spring semester on Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 17 and 18. The campus community is advised to monitor local forecasts and if needed, take precautions traveling to and from campus.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Boise has published a Weather Storm Warning on their site predicting snow beginning on Tuesday night and continuing through the week. The warning is in effect from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday.

By Wednesday afternoon, heavy snow of 1-2 feet is expected to accumulate in the mountains, with 5-10 inches of snow predicted for the valley. Heavy snow should continue through Saturday at elevations above 6,500 feet, with periods of rain and snow at lower elevations.

If you prepare for the worse case scenario, you will be ready for any hazardous travel conditions.

Click here for more information.

Beyond the Blue Podcast: Researching Snow is More Than Just Hitting the Slopes

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:10:13 +0000

Everyone has heard that no two snowflakes are alike. Hans-Peter Marshall, an assistant professor of geophysics in the Department of Geosciences, takes you inside his important research on the properties of snow in this week’s Beyond the Blue faculty podcast “Researching Snow: More Than Just Hitting the Slopes.”

Listeners can access the website featuring a series of faculty podcasts at BeyondtheBlue.BoiseState.edu or go directly to Marshall’s presentation. Visitors can listen/watch podcasts directly on the site or link to iTunesU, where they can download all podcasts and subscribe to receive automatic downloads of new content whenever they open iTunes.

In this podcast, Marshall, who is an expert consultant for the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, describes snow as one of the most dynamic and variable materials on earth. Snow changes from the moment it forms in the sky, as it is blown across the landscape, and as it begins to settle and compact, until it melts and eventually ends up in our water supply. The pattern of snow distribution at the hillslope scale is often highly variable, in terms of both the total amount of water stored in solid form as well as the mechanical properties, and this variability leads to complicated and interesting problems for snow avalanche and hydrologic science. Marshall explains his research and discusses its relevance in straightforward terms.

The Beyond the Blue website has been developed to showcase the expertise and innovative spirit that exists in many fields at Boise State. Known for its unique blue turf and nationally ranked football program, Boise State is demonstrating creativity beyond the blue in faculty podcasts intended to introduce a variety of topics to casual listeners.

New faculty podcasts are being added on a regular basis, including:

The website contains bonus video and editorial content about the university, including its growth, research initiatives and student life. A related collection of faculty interviews also is accessible from the Reader’s Corner radio show hosted by Boise State President Bob Kustra on Boise State Public Radio.

BOISE STATE CLASSES CANCELED ON WED., DEC. 1

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:45:24 +0000

Due to continued poor weather and road conditions, all classes have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 1, and all employees not required for the safe operation of the campus and campus events are not required to be at work today. Staff needed for snow removal, security and event operations should report to work unless otherwise directed by their department. Staff with any questions should contact their department or supervisor.

Events such as the Distinguished Lecture Series at the Morrison Center at 7 p.m. tonight will continue as planned. Please check with any event organizers to confirm special event schedules.