Tim Ekl / Rose Thorn
Rose-Hulman students walk to class on January 15, 2009, the coldest day of the 2008-2009 school year.
The lowest temperature on record in Terre Haute is minus 24 F, recorded in 1977. Today, with windchill, the temperature will reach minus 25 F.
That won’t be enough to set any new records; official extreme lows are recorded without windchill, so today’s temperature will go down in the books as having a low of minus 7 F. But to students, it’s too cold for comfort either way.
“It’s been difficult to breathe at times because it’s too cold,” Anthony Sylvain, freshman computer science student, said. “It’s especially now making me wish that I had packed more warm clothes.”
The cold was enough to trigger warning emails and cautionary words from Gary Flora, Director of Public Safety. The emails advised Rose students about the dangers of driving in cold weather.
“Always think about your own safety,” Flora said. “Carry a nice warm blanket. Everyone should also carry a flashlight. Think about having traffic flares.”
However, the cold wasn’t enough to keep students out of a Student Affairs-provided hot tub on the Union Patio Thursday. The hot tub, part of the Winter Fun Fest event organized by the Student Affairs Office, was left covered and empty through the morning and early afternoon, but saw moderate use through the evening.
Tim Elk / Rose Thorn
Other students lounge in a hot tub outside of the Hulman Memorial Union on the same day, in subzero temperatures and minus 20 F windchills.
“[The hot tub] was fun,” Nick Reed, freshman electrical engineering student, said. “It was a hot tub, it was free of use, why not capitalize on that? Made your hair freeze too, that was pretty fun.”
While some students used the hot tub regardless, the cold was an unexpected coincidence in the Fun Fest’s planning.
“When we scheduled the Fun Fest back in July, we didn’t anticipate that it would be on what may be the coldest day of the year,” Carey Treager Huber, Assistant Dean of Student Services, said. “We had no idea it would be this cold.”
The cold snap is due to pass soon, though, with high temperatures for next week reaching into the mid-30s.
Winter weather tips
[Editor’s Note: Gary Flora, Director of the Office of Public Safety has the following advice to offer to stay safe in the hazardous winter weather.]
- Drive on a full tank of gas as often as possible. This serves multiple purposes. It helps to prevent the freezing of gas lines and also allows for a person to run their car if stopped along the side of the road.
- Use gasoline additives designed to prevent gasoline line disruptions.
- Carry a snow shovel in the trunk. This will allow a person to dig themselves out of a snow drift. This can also be used to spread sand around the tires fo a vehicle to provide traction.
- Engage in defensive driving techniques. This is more important in the winter months as ice and snow can often increase the odds of fatal and near fatal accidents.
- Drive slower, up to 10-15 miles per hour below the speed limit, helping to prevent slipping and loss of control.
- Give the driver ahead of you extra space. The typical “2-second” rule doesn’t apply for winter months; ice and snow cause sliding that cause for longer stopping distances.
Following this advice can help all enjoy more of their winter and snow filled months to come. This advice not only applies for multiple inches of snow, but for as little as a dusting, all can impair driving conditions.