Quizzes & Puzzles Brrr! Test Your Knowledge of East Hill’s Winter Readiness Can you answer 10 questions about how campus is plowed, heated, and otherwise made safe and cozy for these chilly months? 1) About how many tons of salt do grounds staff spread in a typical winter? 18+ 185+ 1,080+ 1,875+ None 2) The Central Energy Plant’s control room has been staffed 24/7 since the building was completed in … 1922 1942 1962 1982 None 3) What warms the boiling water for the campus’s steam heating system? The Synchrotron particle accelerator Exhaust from generating electricity Geothermal energy The enthusiasm of the Lynah Faithful None 4) Grounds crews clear snow from about how many miles of roads and sidewalks, and how many acres of parking lots? 9 miles of road, 24 miles of sidewalk, 50 acres of parking lots 11 miles of road, 33 miles of sidewalk, 71 acres of parking lots 15 miles of road, 61 miles of sidewalk, 114 acres of parking lots 25 miles of road, 45 miles of sidewalk, 87 acres of parking lots None 5) When did the University fully switch from burning coal to cleaner natural gas? 2000 2010 2020 That’s scheduled for 2030 None 6) During snowstorms, when do Big Red plow drivers report for duty to get campus ready for the next day? Midnight 2 a.m. 4 a.m. 6 a.m. None 7) What’s Ithaca’s average seasonal snowfall? 39 inches 44 inches 63 inches 71 inches None 8) To heat campus on a cold day, about how many pounds of steam must the Central Energy Plant produce? 50,000 600,000 1 million 6 million None 9) What year saw Cornell shut down for the first time due to a blizzard? 1971 1984 1993 2007 None 10) Around what holiday does Cornell start preparing and planning for the coming snow season? Fourth of July Labor Day Halloween Thanksgiving None Time’s up Top: Photo by Sreang Hok / Cornell University. Published January 7, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond Researchers Aim for More Protective Women’s Ice Hockey Gear Quizzes & Puzzles March / April ’25 Trivia Roundup Students Slope Day 2025 in Photos