The groundhog tells no lies.

After a brief break from the blankets of snow and biting cold that have typified Spring Semester so far, University students awakened yesterday to fight another futile battle with the flakes from above.

This time, though, the battle with the weather will not last long.

Today's forecast probably will consist of only sleet or freezing rain, said Penn State Weather Station student meteorologist Matt Zika (senior-meteorology). The storm yesterday was expected to dump 8 to 11 inches of snow on State College, he said.

The fast accumulation of snow yesterday, which began at 5:30 a.m., was a surprise for meteorologists. During one hour, the area received three inches of snow, Zika said.

Those conditions coincided with the predictions of Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, who saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter last week.

But Becky Bollman (junior-human development and family studies) said she would be happy if no more snow fell today.

"I can't handle this," Bollman said. "It's messy, you can't drive in it, you can't go anywhere."

Zika warned that more slipping and sliding along campus sidewalks seems likely today.

"They will be on the treacherous side," he said. "It will be a tough traveling day again tomorrow."

The Office of Physical Plant deployed about 100 workers to clear roads, sidewalks, stairs and building entrances yesterday.

"We got pounded this morning," said Phillip Melnick, OPP manager of building trades and solid waste disposal. "We weren't prepared for that."

OPP Customer Service Coordinator Amy Olenick said the priority areas for snow removal are the main routes, entrances and ramps used by physically challenged students and employees. Workers then try to clear Ritenour Health Center and dorms, followed by all other sidewalks and stairs.

But some students said more shovels and less snow-covered areas are in order.

"I came out at 10:10 (yesterday morning) and I thought it would be all clear, but they didn't keep up with it too well," Stacey Dilks (sophomore-secondary education) said. "But that didn't surprise me."

Zika said State College probably will not receive any more flakes until some light snowfall on Saturday. Temperatures will be in the low 30s and high 20s through the rest of the week.

This most recent storm is part of an arctic front stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast, Zika said.

Before yesterday's storm, State College had received 43.5 inches of snow this season.

"We're getting to the point where we are above normal in snowfall," Zika said, adding that it was too early to tell how much more will fall this winter.