With longer nights and layers of snow, the winter is coming to Spokane. The Facilities Services at Whitworth University takes the lead and ensures the university is ready for every winter.  

This coming winter is expected to be quite different from last year, with more precipitation and lower temperatures.  Whitworth is preparing in several different ways.  

Christopher Eichorst, assistant vice president for Facility Services and Campus Security, shared his expectations for the upcoming winter. Eichorst explained that last winter was influenced by El Niño in the Northwest, a climate pattern that typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Northwest. In contrast, this coming winter is anticipated to be impacted by La Niña, which usually results in a colder and wetter winter.  

Eichorst said that the Facility Services team is responsible for keeping sidewalks, roadways, and parking lots on campus safe. When snowy conditions come, they usually begin plowing throughout the snowy day in the winter. However, icy conditions are more of a concern than snowy ones. 

Eichorst said, “If it’s a type of ice that just sticks right away, that’s way more dangerous than snow, slicker than snow, slips, trips, and falls. And car accidents are a problem… So, obviously, we want to make sure the campus is as safe as possible,” he said. He encouraged students, faculty, and staff to report any areas that appear dangerous or need attention.  

During the snowy winters like 2022, Facility Services staff often come at 4 a.m. to start plowing the accumulated snow from roadways and sidewalks. Eichorst also talked about how the Facility Services ground team developed a cost-effective solution for snow management. They began creating their own liquid de-icer, which they use as a sprinkler in the back of the trucks to melt snow on the roads.  

“It saves us a lot of money by making it. So, we buy the ingredients, and we have this big tank in the grounds, and they make the solution… it’s always ready, so we can always make sure we’re always prepared,” he said.  

Tem Amarjargal, a senior majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics, said, “I am from Mongolia, so I grew up in a colder and snowier place than Spokane, so I know what to prepare for winter. I usually get a really warm winter coat and nice boots… It’s really funny because even though Mongolia is known as having one of the world’s coldest winters, Spokane somehow feels colder to me.”  

As winter is coming, the Facility Services team is ready to keep the campus roadways safe and welcoming as much as possible. Eichorst highlighted that ensuring everyone’s safety is not just the responsibility of Facility Services; it involves every single individual. 

He further reminded students of how to face the winter. “Dress appropriately, wear boots or put spikes on… maybe put stuff in your car if you’re a commuter, like a warm blanket, a small shovel, maybe a candle, something to light it in case you get trapped or stuck in a snowstorm.” “When you come to campus, and you’re going to class, if it’s really icy, snowy, we always tell people to walk like a penguin.”  

To report any hazardous situation around campus, feel free to report to Facility Services at (509)777-3254.