City of Ann Arbor offices and non-essential services will be closed Wednesday through Friday due to concerns over severe weather conditions expected through Thursday evening. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm warning for Washtenaw county and the surrounding area effective from 6 AM Wednesday until 10 PM Thursday.
The NWS advisory estimated 11 to 15 inches of snowfall in Washtenaw County, anticipated to make travel extremely difficult.
In response to the expected inclement weather, Ann Arbor Public Schools announced classes will be virtual from Wednesday, Feb. 2 through Friday, Feb. 4.
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor shared a reminder of the University’s severe weather policies but did not announce an emergency reduction in operations. The Daily has received reports of professors making plans to move individual classes online. The University’s Dearborn campus announced it will deliver instruction virtually for the next two days, noting the significant number of commuter students. UM-Flint will also provide remote instruction due to the severe weather.
Additionally, some Ann Arbor businesses and service providers are announcing closures or changes to their operations in preparation for the snow.
Ann Arbor’s notice also encouraged residents to minimize travel on roadways and exercise caution when traveling during the winter storm. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended staying home during the storm in a Michigan State Police press release Tuesday.
“Michiganders should prepare for difficult and potentially dangerous conditions on both Wednesday and Thursday because of the incoming storm,” Whitmer said. . “Staying home will keep you safe and will help emergency crews focus on improving road conditions and assisting those who need it. Michiganders are no stranger to big storms, and I know we can get through the next few days together.”
The city’s trash collection and emergency services will not be affected by the office closures but could experience delays due to the weather. In the notice, the City of Ann Arbor encouraged residents to keep cars off the roads during the storm.
The Downtown Development Authority will be offering free parking to city residents at the Ann & Ashley parking structure from Wednesday until the end of the day Saturday. Residents must provide their city address to the attendant when exiting the structure.
Update: A previous version of this article stated that all non-essential services will be closed through Thursday. A new Washtenaw County press release states non-essential services will now be resuming Monday. The updated article also includes the AAPS Thursday and Friday closures.
Daily News Editor Shannon Stocking and Daily Staff Reporter Matthew Shanbom can be reached at sstockin@umich.eduand shanbom@umich.edu.