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Duke Officials Monitoring Snow Forecast

A winter storm warning is in effect from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday

Alert

Update 11 a.m. Jan. 6:

Due to the forecast of snow and sleet overnight, the severe weather and emergency conditions policy for Duke University and Duke University Health System will be in effect from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday. Duke Primary Care clinics will be working to open key urgent care centers as early Saturday as possible to maintain patient access to care. Additional updates will be made on Saturday about extending the policy based on conditions.

All further updates will be posted on the DukeALERT website. Please check that page for updates throughout the weather event.

Update 5:30 p.m., Jan. 5

At this time, the Duke Men’s Basketball vs. Boston College game will be played as scheduled at 2 p.m. and broadcast on RSN. Duke officials will be in communication with the ACC and Boston College and will publicize any updates as information becomes available as soon as possible on Saturday based on the actual weather conditions. For more information, visit GoDuke.com

Update 4:30 p.m. Jan. 5

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday for Central North Carolina.

Snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches with locally higher amounts of 5 to 7 inches is expected from the Central Piedmont to the Northern Coastal Plain, according to the weather service. The heaviest precipitation is expected to occur between midnight and noon Saturday.

Update 4:15 p.m. Jan. 5

All Duke Recreation and Physical Education facilities will close Friday at 8 p.m. They will remain closed all day Saturday. Brodie Recreation Center on East Campus is tentatively scheduled to open Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Monday’s hours will be determined this weekend. Check the latest recreation center schedules here.

Original post:

Duke officials are closely monitoring weather forecasts that call for a wintry mix and snow Friday evening and Saturday for central North Carolina.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from 7 p.m. Friday through Saturday evening. The heaviest precipitation is expected to fall between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday with an accumulation of about 3 inches, although duration and amounts of precipitation may change as forecasts evolve.

Facilities crews are pretreating Duke roads, parking areas and walkways around the University and Health System in anticipation of the weather. Staff and faculty are reminded to review the priority clearing map to determine preferred paths of travel during severe weather, which may differ from regular routes.

If Duke activates the Severe Weather and Emergency Conditions Policy, officials will send notification via the DukeALERT system, including text message, email, the DukeALERT website, and web alert bar. A message will be recorded on the severe weather/emergency conditions telephone line at 919-684-INFO (4636). Faculty and staff who are not already registered should sign up for text message updates from the DukeALERT system.

Given the possibility of severe weather, please review Duke's severe weather and emergency conditions policy. During times of severe weather, some staff positions require on-site presence to continue operations. All jobs should be assigned a service category by the manager to ensure continuous operations of patient care, student support and research functions. Managers should ensure staff members are aware of the service category for their position and how they will be notified if the severe weather policy is activated. The three categories are:

  • Essential Service: during severe weather/emergency conditions, essential service staff report or remain at work. Transportation service and childcare services may be provided for those required to work during severe weather/emergency conditions.
  • Reserve Service: during severe weather/emergency conditions, reserve service staff are assigned a status at the time of severe weather/emergency condition.
  • Delayed Service: during severe weather/emergency conditions, delayed service staff do not report to work or remain at work.

More information about the policy, including a map of priorities for clearing roads, lots and sidewalks, checklists and answers to frequently asked questions, is available at the DukeALERT emergency website.