Freezing rain forces Western University to cancel classes, campus events

Freezing rain forced Western University to close its campus Wednesday with all classes, exams and on-campus events cancelled as of 12:30 p.m.

University spokesman Keith Marnoch said freezing rain overnight followed by steady rain throughout the morning has left campus walkways dangerously slippery. 

"Conditions have continued to deteriorate and we're not in a situation to maintain our walkways to the level that we want," he said.

"As the rain continued, it basically washed away the snow and exposed ice that's becoming more treacherous now with the rain, so we're not able to keep it to a level that we're satisfied with, so we are closing for the remainder of the day."

The closure includes evening classes on the main campus and continuing studies.

All campus facilities — including libraries, athletic facilities and food services — will be closed at the university which serves a student population of more than 30,000 and some 4,000 staff members.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the university tweeted from its Student Experience account that students are encouraged to make arrangements to go home "as soon and as safely as possible."

Other details about the closure: 

• Residences will continue to operate.
• All campus activities for Wednesday afternoon and evening, including the campus-wide Leader's Forum, will not be held.

Marnoch said university operations are expected to resume to normal on Thursday, but asked that students follow the university's social media channels for updates. 

"Our expectation is that we will be operating normally [Thursday] but we will have messaging ahead of the the beginning of our day," said Marnoch.

Other information can be found: 

• On Western's weather page.
• On Western's Twitter feed. 

Staff and students are asked to check frequently for updates. 

London Transit says buses will continue to operate at Western. 

Classes at Fanshawe College are not cancelled.