Early Sunday morning, a major snowstorm which the Weather Channel is calling “Winter Storm Fern,” swept through Queens. Snowfall began around 5 a.m. and accumulated quickly — creating headaches for students and faculty at St. John’s University as parts of Queens dealt with more than 10 inches of snow.

According to NBC New York, “Fern” was the biggest winter storm New York has seen in five years and was accompanied by the coldest city temperatures since 2018. Nationally, the storm has been linked to at least 18 deaths, with five people found dead outdoors in New York City; Mayor Zohran Mamdani said officials were still working to determine the causes of death.

By the time St. John’s students woke up, snow covered campus pathways and nearby roads. Public Safety crews began snow removal that morning using snow blowers, vehicle-mounted plows and shovels.

Public Safety sent an alert Saturday night announcing closures for the University’s Queens and Manhattan campuses on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. Classes were not canceled, however, as the University shifted to remote learning. The decision mattered for a student body where commuting is the norm. About 71% of St. John’s students are commuters, meaning most rely on roads, trains and buses that can be hit hardest when snow and ice linger.

Public Safety continued to inform members of the St. John’s community via Social Media posts, SMS alerts and announcements on stjohns.edu encouraging students to limit travel, dress in layers and keep their devices charged. 

Even with classes online, some commuter students said they are worried about getting to campus once in-person schedules resume. Thomas Thater, a junior who commutes from Middle Village, said the storm has already changed how he plans his week. 

“As a commuter student, this snowstorm is having a huge effect on how I get to school,” Thater said. “I have to plan to leave early now, I have to make sure my car can handle the snow and make it to campus safely.”

Thater also had concerns about students taking public transportation, predicting increased delays and reduced services for MTA routes. 

“I will have to face hazards, poor visibility, limited parking and other issues,” Thater continued.

Those concerns were echoed by Joseph Dona, a freshman living in Hollis Hall, who spoke to The Torch while sheltering in Montgoris Cafeteria with friends during the storm.

“I feel bad for the commuters — roads could be icy on Tuesday,” Dona said. 

Dona, an early riser, woke up at 6 a.m. shortly after the storm had begun and watched as the snow piled up quickly. 

Dona added that day-to-day life for resident students has not changed as much, noting that Public Safety shoveled a pathway from Residence Village to Montgoris Cafeteria. Dona expressed gratitude that classes would be held online.

“Yeah, I’m happy some classes are canceled, I just wish there was a hill on campus where we could go sledding,” Dona said jokingly. 

Off campus, the storm affected more than student routines. Some local businesses along Union Turnpike closed for the day on Sunday, including P&M Convenience. Meanwhile, grocery stores across the city saw picked-over shelves over the weekend as shoppers stocked up ahead of the storm. 

By Monday morning, “Fern” had left St. John’s digging out alongside the rest of the city — from plowed campus paths to closed corner stores — with students bracing for what the next commute could look like once the snow turns to ice.