We are in the midst of an unprecedented cold stretch in central New Hampshire as daytime temperatures have not climbed above 5 degrees and nightime lows have consistently been -10 degrees or colder for the past six days. Students will return from Winter Break this evening to relatively balmy temperatures in the upper single digits. Keeping Proctor's forty-five buildings and myriad heating systems within each running has kept our Maintenance Team incredibly busy during this stretch. Today, we pause in the midst of a professional development day to thank them for their tireless commitment to keeping us warm! 

Whether it was a broken boiler in the Annex last night, broken water heater in a faculty apartment this morning, malfunctioning thermostats in Maxwell Savage Hall, or the heating system crashing in the Fowler Learning Center, our Maintenance crew has been on the scene throughout break making sure we are all as comfortable as can be in sub-zero temperatures and no major damage occurs to Proctor's infrastructure. 

And let's not forget the back to back snowstorms to start this cold snap, accompanied by a gift of freezing rain in between, to add to Maintenance's workload over break. The fact we can walk safely around campus is nothing short of a miracle thanks to the tireless plowing, sanding, and more plowing done by Maintenance while most of us were enjoying vacation. 

Forecasters are predicting more record lows this weekend, with temperatures plummeting to nearly -20 degrees Fahrenheit Friday night through Sunday morning. Mix in the potential for a Nor'easter on Thursday, and 2018 has certainly arrived with a bang.

Sidenote: The cold temperatures did not stop the Proctor Ski Area and Proctor's USSA/FIS Alpine team from hosting its first race of the season, however, as over a hundred skiers from all over New England brave the windchill to race on pristine conditions today (check real-time race results HERE).

The ebbs and flows of an academic calendar rhythm do not apply to many of our staff members on campus, and it is during these moments of quiet when students are not around that we are keenly aware of the long hours and stressful work required of Will, Kurt, Brandon, Todd, Dana, Paul, Bill, Garry, Lynn, Steve, Jim, Steele, Dave, Adam, Tim, Mac, Justin, Mike, and Ken to keep campus not only running, but running smoothly. If you find yourself on campus today, take a moment today to say thank you to our Maintenance crew!