This page is a resource for all members of the Appalachian community to provide the most requested information about winter weather in Boone. It is also one of the campus education efforts for Appalachian State University's own Storm Ready designation through the National Weather Service. We all enjoy winter weather, although there are some difficulties and risks that snow and ice create. Please take a few minutes to explore this page and the rest of the emergency web site.
Have a safe and enjoyable winter season!
Download the Winter Storm Ready PDF
Download a one-page PDF with the most important Winter Storm Ready information. The printable sheet is a great resource to hand out to your colleagues, roommates, or students.
Winter Weather at App State
Winter weather at App State usually includes snow, ice, freezing rain, and sleet from November through April. Those that have spent several years in the Boone area understand how quickly the weather can change from a sunny and mild day to a severe snow storm in only an hour. App State students, faculty and staff need to become familiar with the Boone climate and check weather forecasts frequently throughout the winter months.
If heavy winter weather is in the forecast, plan ahead! Plan on staying in your apartment or residence hall for a few days. Campus Dining Services will provide services as able; however, conditions may not allow for safe travel.
Changes to Class Schedules & Campus Operations
If winter weather has the potential to affect campus operations, campus status decisions are recommended to the Chancellor by the Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs and a team representing Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Appalachian Police Department, Emergency Management and University Communications.
- Winter weather notifications to campus may begin up to 72 hours or longer in advance of an anticipated weather event depending on the expected severity of incoming weather.
- Weather decisions are timed to provide as much notice as possible to campus about any changes in operations while also remaining responsive to changes in weather conditions.
Campus will be notified of any weather-related status changes (such as reduced or suspended operations) via email and on the university's homepage and the appstatealert.com website.
- Additionally, the university posts weather-related operations changes to its social media sites, and sends the information to local and campus media and weather/information websites.
- If operations changes will affect morning operations and classes, campus will be notified by 6am.
- Should weather events necessitate changes in operations during the workday, every effort will be made to communicate any operations changes to campus as quickly as possible to allow students, faculty and staff to adjust plans and make decisions keeping personal safety paramount.
Much of our campus became accustomed to remote working and learning while responding to the coronavirus.
- Students, faculty and staff who have the ability to work remotely are encouraged to do so in the event winter weather events may make traveling to campus hazardous. If remote working is not possible, Adverse Weather Leave Options will remain available.
- Faculty are encouraged to utilize "Keep Teaching" resources to minimize class delivery disruption to the greatest extent possible. If remote learning is not possible, students are encouraged to reach out to faculty directly, and monitor ASULearn and their course webpages.
How App State notifies students, faculty and staff
Once the decision is made to alter App State's operating schedule to include delays, cancellation of classes, or closure, information is posted to appstatealert.com, App State's hompage, telephone snow line (262-SNOW), campus e-mail and social media by 6 a.m. Students, faculty, and staff should monitor campus e-mail, the university homepage, the snow line, social media and local media for any changes to App State's operational status. Additionally, student, faculty and staff should become familiar with the Adverse Weather Policy. Students in off-campus programs should check the Extension and Distance Education cancellation page.
Follow on Social
Students, faculty and staff may follow @readyappstate and @appstate on Facebook and Twitter to receive information about winter storm preparedness updates, class cancellations or campus closings. This information supplements, but does not replace, the more detailed class cancellation or campus closing information sent via email or posted on appstatealert.com.
Winter Driving Safety
What about winter weather creates the greatest risk for App State faculty, staff, students? Driving. Please consider the following recommendations when operating a vehicle in winter weather:
- Clear: Remove any snow on your vehicle's windows, lights, brake lights and signals.
- Inspect: Check your vehicle's tires, wiper blades, fluids, lights, belts and hoses.
- Time: Allow plenty of time to reach your destination safely.
- Limited Visibility: Stay attentive and reduce speed. Know what's going on around you.
- Speed: The faster you're going, the longer it will take to stop; take it slow to avoid slipping or sliding. Ice and Snow, Take it Slow.
- Black Ice: You cannot see black ice on the road. Take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady areas.
- Distance: Leave extra room between you and the vehicle in front of you.
- Brake: Brake early, brake slowly, brake correctly and never slam on the brakes.
Don't drive unless you must!
Additional Resources
- AppalCart Route Changes and Announcements
- Appalachian State University Adverse Weather Announcements
- Appalachian State University Adverse Weather Policy
- Extension and Distance Education Class Cancellation Notices
- National Weather Service Winter Weather Safety and Awareness
- North Carolina Department of Transportation Travel Information
- Weather: Appalachian State University
- Winterize Your Course: LTS Workshop for Faculty
- AppState-ALERT Registration for Emergency Voice and Text Messages
Winter Heating Safety
Fires and carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings significantly increase in the winter months because of improper use of heating devices. Students that live on campus should be aware that no portable heating devices are allowed in any of the residence facilities. App State also has an Open Flame Policy that prohibits the use of any open flame devices, including candles. Appalachian Facility Operations provides heat to all buildings on campus and the use of space heaters is not recommended (safety and sustainability). For the thousands of off-campus students, faculty, staff, the following are some basic heating safety recommendations:
- Keep kids, pets and any objects that could burn at least three-feet away from heating equipment sources.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Test smoke alarms monthly.
- All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
- Install and maintain CO alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning.
Contact the Department of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management for more fire and heating safety information.
The bottom line - enjoy your winter at App State, but be safe doing it.