Ithaca averages 68.2 inches of snow every winter season. That's almost 6 feet of the cold white stuff.

Last December was both the 17th wettest and 16th snowiest month on record, according to Keith Eggleston, senior climatologist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell. Locals have even invented a word for that slushy mix of wet and frost that defies the usual definitions: Ithacating.

Because we live in such a variable weather area in upstate New York, we have to be prepared for anything as we go into the winter months.

"Being prepared is the smartest way to survive Ithaca's winters," says Steve Golding, executive vice president for finance and administration. "We've developed strategies on campus to help employees plan in advance to avoid confusion when bad weather hits."

Addressing inclement weather challenges for individuals with disabilities

For academic and nonacademic staff with short- or longer-term mobility impairments who may have difficulty getting to or around their work site because of inclement weather, a Cornell program may help.

To determine if this program can meet your needs, fill out the Voluntary Inclement Weather Questionnaire, or contact the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality at 255-3976 or e-mail equalopportunity@cornell.edu to obtain the questionnaire.

An individual's program may include notifying relevant building/facilities personnel for attention to snow or ice removal needs, providing a cell phone, if necessary, for urgent communication while the staff member is in transit to a building or offering other measures to facilitate access.

"Supervisors and employees should meet now to discuss how work will be conducted if Cornell suspends operations or openings are delayed," Vice President for Human Resources Mary Opperman says, adding that discussions should be conducted in an open and mutually respectful manner.

Most important: "Safety comes first," Golding says. "We know that many employees live some distance from campus. We trust that every Cornellian will use his or her own best judgment in determining whether it is safe to travel to campus if there are dangerous conditions or unplowed roads."

Cornell's Inclement Weather Policy, available at http://www.policy.cornell.edu/vol2_5.cfm, states that the campus will close whenever Tompkins County roads are closed. Cornell will remain open when road advisories are issued. Employees who are designated to perform such essential services as clearing roadways, caring for animals or staffing dining halls report to work even when the university is closed; these jobs are designated in advance by supervisors.

Inclement weather decisions will be communicated as widely as possible; the most timely announcements are made through:

Several factors go into the decision whether to close the university or delay opening, Golding says. These include weather forecasts, timing, road closures in Tompkins County and decisions by transit providers in Tompkins and surrounding counties. Employees who do not report because of weather when the university is open are released from the advance notice requirement to use vacation or personal-accrued times. Time off will be charged to accrued time off as selected by the employee, unless arrangements are made in advance to work at home or make up the time later in that pay period.

"Everyone should have a personal emergency plan," Golding says. "The plan should include everything from having emergency supplies to arrangements for picking up children. Having your own plan in place will make it easier to have clear communications with your supervisor about plans for inclement weather and other emergencies."

A planning guideline is available at http://www.epr.cornell.edu.