Students walking on Northrop Mall Monday had to fight biting winds and dense snowfall on their way to classes.
Winter is back.
The wet snow was accompanied by strong winds, creating a white wall of weather that forced students to bundle up and drive carefully.
The National Weather Service expects the snow to taper off by mid-morning today, with a total accumulation of four to seven inches.
On Monday students who commuted to the University were faced with a dangerous drive. Roads were snow-packed and slippery throughout the evening.
Although Minneapolis and St. Paul received an equal amount of snow, the Twin Cities were not in agreement about the severity of the storm. St. Paul declared a snow emergency, but Minneapolis did not.
St. Paul started plowing Monday night. If Minneapolis declares a snow emergency today, cars will need to stay clear of snow emergency routes while first-day plowing takes place.
The snow means a lot of work for some University employees. In order to get students to class on snow-free paths, University workers must plow 45 miles of sidewalk and eight miles of streets surrounding the campus.
University plowers generally take to the streets at 3 a.m. following a snowfall to clear the walkways and streets within 10 hours. Thirty-three workers are needed for this operation, said Facilities Management.
With spring break right around the corner, students may have forgotten that March is historically Minnesota’s snowiest month, with an average of 11.2 inches of the white stuff falling on the state.

— Nichol Nelson