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[eugenides]

Do snowstorms prevent some candidates from flying out for campus visits?

Are flights cancelled because of snow?


The pics shown on the news websites are disturbing-- I mean the weather.

[smurlein]

I have had flights cancelled and really delayed for campus interviews. You just kind of wing it and hope for the best.

[infopri]

Yes, flights sometimes get cancelled for weather--snow, ice, fog, all sorts of things.  If you can, schedule a flight that has at least one more after it that you could take and still arrive on time for your interviews.  If you can have several later flights, so much the better.  Also, before leaving home, scout out alternate flights on other airlines, and flights on yours and other airlines to alternate airports from which you could rent a car and drive the remaining distance (or perhaps get picked up by a member of the SC).

Don't count on the SC cancelling anything because of weather.  It may happen sometimes, but expect to be expected, regardless of the weather.

[dr_crankypants]

Yes, flights do get cancelled for weather, but I also know someone who gave a job talk during a blizzard.  But he did get the job.  If your flight is going, I'd get on it.  Good luck! 

[rattusdomesticus]

You'd be surprised what a good SC head (or department head) can do if you make the effort. Twice I've arrived in a town late because of weather or defective planes. Twice the SC head arranged for a later time for my interview. Granted, I did have to come dressed in rumpled clothes and without sleep for 24 hours; still, they did all they could to accommodate the messed up travel. I will say that I did my bit in going to the airport, sitting around strange airports and checking in by phone with SC head.

[losemygrip]

Remember the "storm of the century" back in March 1993?  I was TRAPPED in a tiny town in upstate New York during that.  Why?  I was there doing a campus interview.  I had to stay an extra day.  The committee chair kindly came by the next day at 7:30, drove me to Syracuse in his 4-wheel drive vehicle so I'd have a better chance of getting out. I finally got home about 10 PM, after a series of bizarre connections.

[mrhistory]

My flight out of NYC was cancelled and on that one it took a bit of convincing of SC in Chicago to understand that good weather there did not equal good weather on the east coast.  When he clicked to it, he rescheduled.  Part of the "drama" of the mid-winter hiring season. Another reason why I hate the entire schedule in my discipline.

Although, I've been on a few funny campus tours where I have been asked to "imagine what this looks like in October!"

[lucilla]

Eugenides,
a few years back I made it through the storms to my visit but #2 candidate got stuck and came for only part of hus. The SC brought us BOTH back a second time to allow for a clearer comparison (or something...it felt like major hell for me, but then, I didn't get the job after two trips across country).

All this to say that you should not worry. If they want you, they will still want you if the weather makes your visit more complicated than expected!
Good luck!
Lucilla

[eagle]

Two or three years ago there was a big storm in the northeast.  I was standing in the airport on Sunday afternoon calling the SC chair at home.  He basically asked me to wait in the line at the airport and push everything back by a week.  I am not sure what would have happened had I not called to check, though.

[iomhaigh]

Yes -- and this is all the more reason to keep all contact info in your carry on and to make sure that you have phone numbers out the wazoo.  When you get snowed into Cleveland, you need to be able to call San Francisco & let them know. 

[eagle]

Two or three years ago there was a big storm in the northeast.  I was standing in the airport on Sunday afternoon calling the SC chair at home.  He basically asked me to wait in the line at the airport and push everything back by a week.  I am not sure what would have happened had I not called to check, though.

I should clarify -- it was beautiful where I was, and snowy where I was going.  I basically didn't know how bad things really were so I called to check. 

[newfac2007]

This just happened to me a couple of days ago. Iced into a city while there for a campus interview. Although the flights weren't grounded on either end, I stayed an extra day to accommodate the university and SC. The SC was very appreciative of how flexible I was.

[adhoc]

... keep all contact info in your carry on and to make sure that you have phone numbers out the wazoo.

This is excellent advice  -- in any context.

[infopri]

Although, I've been on a few funny campus tours where I have been asked to "imagine what this looks like in October!"

I had a funny experience when interviewing at a campus an hour's drive from where I live.  The weather (both there and here) is awful in the winter, lots of snow (150"-190" a year) and VERY cold (subzero temps aren't unusual, plus lots of windchill).  I interviewed on a beautiful March day that had to be a good 70 degrees.  (March here often is still deep winter, so I lucked out.)  One of the people I met assured me that "It's always like this in March; this is very typical weather."  The dept chair (who, of course, knew where I lived) had to stop the poor soul before he dug himself in too deep with his "salesmanship."

[gennimom]

One professor here came from somewhere snowy to interview in the spring. Here, unless it is tornado weather, it is usually beautiful and quite balmy. The prof later claimed they "lied" about the climate by bringing the person in at that time of year. The prof moved down here in August and found out what hell summer is like! Ah well. Must not have been too bad. Prof has been here 20+ years.