WSU Pullman cancelled all classes and non-essential university operations due to icy conditions on Wednesday, the first such instance since 2011.

At 6:30 a.m., WSU alerts announced that the Pullman campus would have a two-hour delayed start, cancelling all classes that started before 10 a.m. At 8:30 a.m., another alert was sent out cancelling all classes for the whole day.

University of Idaho made the decision to cancel classes for the day at 6:30 a.m., according to a news release. The Pullman School District cancelled school for the day at 5:15 a.m., according to their notification.

WSU spokesperson Rob Strenge said the cancellation was due to pedestrian access problems. Ice covering the sidewalks, stairs and general pavement posed a significant risk to pedestrians, Strenge said.

WSU employees previously defined as essential to campus operations worked yesterday despite the closure, according to the WSU news release.

Pullman Police Operations Cmdr. Chris Tennant said that there were two minor car accidents in the past 24 hours.

Some students and parents argued the university should have closed last week to prevent students from driving in dangerous conditions to attend classes, but Strenge said pressure from these groups did not play a role in the university’s decision.

Reporting by Sarah Olsen