Update: The Oval remains closed as of Friday, May 19. Campus is still advised to avoid walking or parking underneath areas where there are tree branches or fallen tree branches.
Colorado State University closed Thursday due to heavy snow and falling branches caused by heavy snow.
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Earlier Thursday morning, the Oval at CSU closed because branches from the trees fell from the weight of the spring snowfall.
CSU’s Public Safety Team sent an email out early Thursday morning informing campus that the Oval would be closed for an unknown amount of time. Campus was advised to not drive, bike or walk around the Oval as damages affected both the street and the sidewalks.
The Oval at CSU hosts the historic American Elm trees. The email from Public Safety did not specify whether or not the branches are from the elms or if they are from other trees around the Oval.
Falling tree branches historically have caused the University to close campus for part of the day or for the whole day, after a student was hit by a tree branch that fell from the weight of snow.
Snow damaged tree branches on the Oval in 2011, after which CSU launched the Oval Preservation Fund, which is still ongoing. The fund helps to care for and trim the trees.
SOURCE has provided a map of the areas closed on campus surrounding the Oval. It has not been specified when those areas will reopen.
This is a developing story. The Collegian will update the article with more information as it becomes available.
Collegian news editor Rachel Telljohn can be reached at rtelljohn@collegian.com or on Twitter @racheltelljohn.
