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Good afternoon Colleagues,

As all of you probably know by now, Oakhurst is expected to get heavy snow beginning later tonight and lasting on and off through Saturday. Throughout the holiday weekend, I have had multiple conversations with President Reyna and we, along with Dean Soukup, are closely monitoring the weather forecast and road conditions on state highways and county roads in the Oakhurst area.

A winter storm warning continues to remain in effect from Tuesday at 4 p.m. until Saturday at 4 a.m. for the Sierra Nevada and Foothills. Updated forecasts have pushed the heaviest snowfall into Wednesday afternoon through Thursday for the Oakhurst area. It is anticipated the weather will greatly affect road conditions with impacts to local students and staff.

Due to the expected snow and road conditions that are likely to follow, the Oakhurst campus will be closed for in-person work and in-person classes on Wednesday, February 22, and all faculty and staff who are scheduled to work at Oakhurst on Wednesday are approved to work remotely. All in-person classes scheduled to take place at the Oakhurst campus on Wednesday need to be held online. If you are unable to continue with instruction of your classes on Wednesday, please let your students, department chair, and dean know. If you don’t have internet access, contact your department chair or dean as soon as possible, and they will ensure an email message is sent to your students. 

Faculty and staff who live in or near Oakhurst and commute to the Madera campus, Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, or District Office are approved to work remotely on Wednesday, February 22 and must notify their supervisors that they live in/near Oakhurst and will be working remotely.

President Reyna, Dr. Soukup and I will continue to monitor the road conditions and weather forecast in Oakhurst and we will keep you informed on additional impacts to the Oakhurst campus for Thursday and Friday.

This week’s weather will impact people in multiple ways, so communication, patience, and flexibility will be important to our entire campus community. Students who live in or near Oakhurst and commute to the Madera campus or to Fresno City College, Reedley College, or Clovis Community College should contact their instructors to let them know they live in an area impacted by the snow. It is our expectation that faculty will provide the necessary flexibility to those students so that they aren’t commuting when road conditions are poor.

Snow, ice and/or high winds may result in falling trees/limbs and power outages. Be prepared for road closures and extended power outages. If you must travel, have food and water and plenty of warm clothing with you. Carry tire chains.

Your safety is our top priority, so please utilize the following resources to make any necessary preparations appropriate for your location:

Weather Updates

Winter Weather Preparedness

PG&E Power Outage Information

Please be safe and let us know if we can be of any assistance. We are here to support you.

Dr. Carole Goldsmith

Chancellor

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