Winter Weather News

There were numerous closings and cancellations in the area. More information on recent closings from Illinois Newsroom here. For the latest local weather updates during this storm, check out the WCIA Winter Storm LIVE Blog or the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency twitter feed.

The severe weather also caused the University of Illinois to move to remote classes. From the Daily Illini:

The National Weather Service issued a notice that Champaign County will experience a winter storm with winds of up to 35 mph and an expected total snowpack of 5 to 15 inches from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m Thursday. 

While the University will not be closed and classes will not be canceled, the University will shift classes and essential services online from Wednesday through Friday due to the snowstorm.

“Our goal is to reduce the number of people on the campus to allow limited staff to provide essential support services to our students and to let F&S safely clear sidewalks, streets and parking lots,”said Chancellor Robert Jones in a Massmail.

That full article here. More recent University updates on the Cheat Sheet here.

C-U at Home is adjusting its One Winter Night event for the recent severe winter weather according to WCIA:

Despite the winter weather, C-U at Home is still having its One Winter Night event on Friday, but with changes.

The event is a homeless simulation and sleeping outside in cold temperatures is a reality of our friends without an address, which is why C-U at Home will be continuing with their event. 

With heavy snowfall on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by extremely cold temperatures on Friday and Saturday, the downtown area will be limited to the parking lot north of The Venue CU, which will serve as the event headquarters. C-U at Home said this adjustment will allow them to check on participants more often and give participants better access to warming and the night’s other activities.

Full article here.

During this current storm there was an expansion of warming center hours. CU at Home had also temporarily expanded its warming center hours due to colder temperatures a couple weeks ago as well.

The addition of low barrier shelter service was also in the news this past month. From WCIA:

Advocates for people without an address in Champaign-Urbana hoped the launch of low-barrier shelters this week will allow officials to hone-in on how to best serve people who are struggling and aren’t quite ready to make a change.

C-U at Home and five other local agencies (City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, Cunningham Township, the Champaign County Board, and the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission) have chipped in time and money to establish the shelters – one for men and one for women – at New Covenant Fellowship Church and First Presbyterian Church in Downtown Champaign. The churches will serve up to 25 men and 10 women.

The “low-barrier” moniker means people cannot use drugs or alcohol on-site. However, they will not be turned away if they are dealing with something like alcohol or drug abuse or a mental health problem. C-U at Home earlier had problems with that group causing problems at its main shelter on East Washington Street, leading to the need for this new church-based project.

That full article here.