It's that time of year again, when misplaced footing on an icy sidewalk can turn a trip to class into a painfully close encounter with the ground. The thin layer of ice covering unsalted areas makes the probability of bundled pedestrians slipping and falling dangerously real.

Although the weather may have altered the plans of some students, graduates and their families to return to campus for the beginning of classes as well as for commencement ceremonies, the sidewalks were salted and the roads were plowed.

"The sidewalks were a little icy, but the roads were fine," said Grant Naylor (freshman-division of undergraduate studies). Naylor navigated the sidewalks Sunday afternoon as he carried his luggage to his room in West Halls.

And the Penn State population need not fear the ravages of another Penn State winter. Icy roads and sidewalks are where the Office of Physical Plant comes in.

OPP had its hands full with the 110 inches of snow that fell on Centre County last winter. Such a significant amount of precipitation might make the sleet and freezing rain that fell Friday evening seem minimal. But the downfall was not taken lightly.

"We had people working overnight," said Norman Bedell, current assistant vice president for the physical plant. "The landscape crew was out shoveling sidewalks and stairways to prepare for the returning students."

The sleet and freezing rain that fell Friday only amounted to .25 inches, said Todd Miner of the Penn State Weather Communications Group.

"There were a couple of snowflakes, but the majority of the precipitation was sleet and freezing rain," Miner said.

The success OPP had dealing with such a small downpour was a matter of skepticism to some returning students.

"Have they done anything? It's kind of icy," said Jill Rapp (junior-wildlife and fishery science). Rapp moved back into Thompson Hall after returning from winter break.

Others felt the somewhat icy sidewalk conditions could be attributed to the fact that the sleet fell so recently.

"Usually they have the ice taken care of," said Jeff Shriver (senior-architectural engineering). "It's at these extreme times that it gets bad."

When it comes to winter weather and campus upkeep, Bedell has confidence in the ability of OPP to handle the task.

"We're ready for the winter weather," Bedell said. "We had lots of practice last winter."