"I just didn't think it was snowing as hard in State College," Barr said. "I was just told light snow — it's not snowing lightly anymore."
Shortly after 5 p.m, United Express supervisor Patty Christoff said the airline had cancelled all remaining flights with the exception of one inbound flight. Northwest Airlink and U.S. Airways Express, the airport's main carrier, cancelled flights into State College as well.
Christoff said nobody was stranded in the airport, and many people were choosing on their own not to take flights before the planes stopped flying.
At the State College bus terminal on North Atherton Street, employee Ben Budd reported no delays as of yesterday afternoon. However, he said some passengers could find themselves stranded in Greyhound terminals.
"If they're already on the road, it just may take a little longer," Budd said. "But if they're at the station, they may not leave for awhile until the roads are cleared, maybe even not until the next day."
The storm caused several major roadways into State College, including U.S. Route 322, to back up with traffic last night.
State College Borough Manager Peter Marshall declared a snow emergency at 5 p.m. yesterday. This occurs when three or more inches of snow have fallen. Residents must move their vehicles off borough streets until they have been cleared or the cars may be towed.
Sgt. John Gardner of the State College Police Department advised people to stay off the roads during the storm unless absolutely necessary.
"It's always these little ones, three or four inches, that cause problems for us," Gardner said.
Pennsylvania State Police at Rockview reported several accidents and many roads being closed and slippery, but there were no fatalities as of 8 p.m. The clinical coordinator at Centre Community Hospital said several people came to the emergency room due to weather-related accidents.
There also were reported power outages along Vairo Boulevard, affecting some apartment complexes in the area.
At press time, about nine inches of snow had fallen in State College. Jeff Porter, Campus Weather Service secretary, said the next few days should be calmer, but there is a possibility of more flurries on Thursday.
"This is the first plowable snowfall of the year for State College," Porter said. "I think the rest of the week will be cold, so the snow should stick around."
He said the storm is a result of two storm systems, one moving north from the southeast United States and one pushing eastward from the Great Lakes.
Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said classes were still going on as scheduled as of last evening, because the decision to cancel is typically made in the middle of the night. The university does not completely close, he added, because of buildings that remain open for students, such as the dorms and dining halls.
"What we look at is the degree that we need to shut down or delay things," Mahon said.
Most students live close to classes, so distances faculty and staff have to travel are taken into greater consideration. Mahon said county and campus road crews are consulted on the street conditions, as well as the Campus Weather Service to determine when the snow will end.
A decision to close university offices is first broadcast over WPSU-FM radio and its Web site, which reaches the many employees who live in surrounding counties, and later on other radio and television stations, Mahon said.
Barr, the student surprised by the snow at the airport, had yet to purchase her textbooks and was looking forward to the prospect of Penn State postponing the first day of the semester.
"I want to unpack and not have to worry about classes," Barr said.
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