Update- March 5 at 2:15 p.m.
Market Square will close from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday to prepare for dinner, according to an email sent by Michael Russel, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. Russel said in the email that dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Chick-Fil-A and Union Grounds are open until 9 p.m. The Multi-Purpose Facility food venues will be closed all day Thursday.
The email also said the rec center is open until 9 p.m. and the library is closed.
The National Weather Service predicts a low around 22 degrees Thursday night. Friday is expected to be sunny, with a high near 47 degrees.
Update- March 5 at 10:45 a.m.
TCU is closed Thursday, March 5. The sun is shining but the road conditions will remain hazardous much of the day.
The National Weather Service predicts highs in the upper 30s. The temperature Thursday night is predicted to be in the lower 20s.
Friday is expected to be sunny and clear, with highs in the upper 40s.
TCU 360 will update the story as more information becomes available.
Update – 11:55 p.m.
The TCU campus is now blanketed in a layer of soft snow, and snowfall is expected to stop by 3 a.m.
The temperature is expected to stay around 26 degrees until mid-morning, with winds fluctuating around 15 mph. Classes remain cancelled for Thursday, March 5.
Update – 7:20 p.m.
TCU will be closed Thursday, March 5 due to inclement weather, according to the TCU Alert system.
Update – 6:40 p.m.
An email from Michael Russel announced that all on-campus dining options will close at 9 p.m. Wednesday night.
If classes are cancelled or delayed Thursday, Market Square will be delayed for two hours and open at 9 a.m. The hours of the other dining options will depend on the availabilty of the staff.
The Rec Center will close Wednesday night at 9 p.m., and will open at 10 a.m. tomorrow if classes are cancelled or delayed.
The latest update from the National Weather Service says precipitation is expected to end early Thursday morning. However, temperature will remain below freezing and snow and ice will remain on the roads throughout the morning. Winds may also gust up to 40 mph.
Update – 4:05 p.m.
TCU sent out an alert Wednesday afternoon announcing it will close at 5 p.m.
Original Story
Spring Break is only days away, but winter won’t let go.
There’s a 100 percent chance of a wintry mix overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. The weather service is predicting one to three inches of sleet or snow overnight. The mix is expected to last until Thursday morning.
A winter storm warning is also in effect from 3 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday.
Anthony Bain, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, said freezing rain is expected to begin between 4 and 6 p.m.
“We should see afternoon rain, but then colder air should filter in and we’ll see the transition from liquid to freezing rain tonight and then sleet or snow eventually,” Bain said.
Bain said the sleet or snow should start by midnight.
“We may also get some thunderstorms,” Bain said. “If that happens, we can expect to see some locally rapid accumulations of sleet or snow, which could make road conditions fairly hazardous.”
The National Weather Service is forecasting a low of 26 degrees for Wednesday night.
However, Bain said the wind chill could drop into the teens, as winds between 25 to 35 mph are expected Wednesday evening.
The potential weather has created some hype since Spring Break is only days away and many students are taking midterms this week.
“It’s a bummer since I’m leaving for South Padre for break in a few days but an ice day tomorrow would be nice,” said Daniel Manks, a sophomore communication studies major.
Manks said he plans to drive to South Padre Island but is not concerned about potential road conditions. He added that the break will be nice after all of the midterms and cold weather recently.
“One of my professors told me my midterm on Friday is going to happen no matter what,” Manks said.
Holly Ellman, interim director for strategic communications management, said in an email Tuesday that TCU will closely monitor weather conditions and that a closure or delayed opening of the university may occur if roads become too hazardous to travel on.
Ellman said that any decision to close or delay the opening of the university on Thursday will be made by 6:30 a.m. Students will be notified through the TCU Alert system in the event that there are any weather related impacts.