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Gonzaga gets snow day after thousands of students sign petition

More than 2,500 students signed the petition after Gonzaga did not cancel classes on Monday.

Gonzaga University cancelled school on Tuesday after thousands of students signed a Change.org petition calling for a snow day.

Senior Emma Winkelman started the petition.

“We have gone far too long without a weather-induced day off. 2016 was the wind storm… 2018 was the ice rain… 2019 could be the snowmageddon….. GIVE US THE DAY OFF,” the petition reads.

More than 2,500 students signed the petition after Gonzaga did not cancel classes on Monday. Others shared it via Facebook. 

These were some of the Facebook statuses from students regarding the petition:

"I'm cold."

"Call it a senior day."

"Snow sucks and almost falling multiple times sucks."

Central Washington University students also started a Change.org petition calling for a snow day. Nearly 4,400 students signed the petition as of 9:30 a.m. 

"Ellensburg has experienced the worst winter weather of 2019, with snow in the weather forecast for the next 48 hours, conditions are becoming unsafe for students to travel in Ellensburg. Conditions may be nominal on campus, but a majority of students live off campus where conditions are not safe. We, CWU students and community, ask that CWU authorize a snow day until conditions both on AND off campus are safe," the petition reads.  

Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh tweeted about the university’s snow day around 6 a.m. on Tuesday. 

“It’s official: Classes @GonzagaU are cancelled today due to hazardous weather conditions. SNOW DAY, Zags!” he wrote.

This comes as universities and colleges are closed throughout the region, including Washington State University’s Spokane campus, Spokane Community Colleges, Eastern Washington University and North Idaho College.

Spokane schools also closed on Tuesday.

RELATED: How Spokane Public School leaders decide on school closures

McCulloh also tweeted about the Change.org petition on Monday.

“The only thing more impressive than this petition are the reasons people give for singing it. Impressive work, @em_wink! We are monitoring the weather conditions closely!” he wrote.

Spokane woke up to five inches of overnight snowfall on Tuesday morning.

The city also broke a snowfall record on Monday. More than 7 inches of snow fell in 24 hours, breaking the old Feb. 11 record of 5.5 inches set in 1897, according to the National Weather Service. 

The current snow depth in Spokane is sitting at 17 inches as of 5 a.m. on Tuesday, according to KREM Morning Weather Anchor Evan Noorani. Another one to three inches of snow are possible on Tuesday before precipitation likely turns to rain on Tuesday afternoon.

RELATED: Spokane schools closed after another snowstorm blankets region

Forecast: Spokane to see warming temps, rain before snow restarts Wednesday

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