Winter Weather Management

Landscape service employee clearing snow from campus paths.

Clearing the campus

Management of winter-weather events is dynamic and subject to “change with the weather.” As conditions warrant, we will have the primary vehicle and pedestrian travel routes through campus ready by 7 a.m. Secondary routes will be cleared as soon as possible after the primary routes are cleared. “Cleared” means the route has been plowed and is passable.

Snow-removal priorities

All areas of campus are important and will be cleared as quickly and safely as conditions allow. However, depending on the severity and timing of the storm, some areas may be addressed first based on immediate needs and safety priorities. After a winter weather event, Campus Facilities – Landscape Services follows a flexible response plan that generally prioritizes:

  • University Hospital & Clinics* drives and roadways, including:
    • Emergency Room entries and driveways
    • Helipad and access walks
    • Dean’s Drive and Loading Dock Drive
  • Emergency Services:
    • Fire Station
    • MUPD
    • Power Plant
  • University-owned streets
  • Drive lanes in campus parking lots and parking structures
  • Accessible parking areas and shuttle-bus shelters
  • Campus sidewalks
    • Primary sidewalks
    • Secondary sidewalks (once primary sidewalks are clear)
  • Campus building entrances, steps and ramps
  • Critical service buildings:
    • MU Research Reactor
    • Veterinary Hospital
  • Delivery and unloading zones
  • Auxiliary areas of campus
  • Parking spaces in parking lots and top decks of parking structures

*The University Hospital manages snow removal for drives and roadways surrounding the hospital, but Landscape Services may provide support when needed.

The MU Recreation Trail will not be cleared after a winter-weather event.

Some streets on the MU campus are the responsibility of the City of Columbia’s Public Works Department and some are the responsibility of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Campuswide response

CF – LS coordinates the MU campus weather event response. Other campus departments responsible for responding to weather events include:

Contact Information