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 Comments Alice Katz Berglas, Class of 1966 18 Jan, 2026 The university cancelled Finals for a day in the snowstorm of late January 1966. (27th? 30th?) It was a gorgeous day when the snow stopped falling. We all had already studied and so seemingly everyone went out to play in the deep snow. My sorority built a snowfort with the fraternity next door. A fraternity we had not really known well. They joined us and gathered indoors for hot chocolate. As a New Yorker, i had never built a true snowfort before! My mom always said it sounded like my happiest day at Cornell. In some ways, particular and distinct memory ways, maybe she was right. It remains literally crystal clear. Reply Marsha, Class of 1967 18 Jan, 2026 YES…I remember that!! Reply Carol Fritz, Class of 1971 18 Jan, 2026 Sad memory of when classes were cancelled in 1971: A couple of undergraduates decided unwisely to go hiking and the woman drowned in Buttermilk Creek. I was flabbergasted when I read about this in the Sun. Reply 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 Bear Hugs Meet the 2025 Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award Winners Alumni Alum Memorialized with Campaign to Promote His Made-Up Word Alumni Podcast Celebrates Alumni—and their Love for Cornell