Slick, slushy roads and sidewalks lined the way to classes for ISU students Monday, as an ice-storm warning threatened travel safety for the Ames community.Ames received a half-inch of precipitation during the day Monday, said Brad Filldach, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Although temperatures hovered just above freezing, he said the sleet probably would re-freeze with Monday night’s predicted snowfall.Warren Madden, vice president for Business and Finance, said he determines whether classes should be canceled by evaluating several factors.Madden said the university consults the Department of Transportation, the City of Ames, CyRide, law enforcement officials and the weather service before they decide whether to cancel classes due to weather.”The bulk of students — somewhere around 60 or 70 percent — live within walking distance of campus or on a CyRide route,” he said. “Of course, individuals need to take into account their own circumstances. … We don’t want anyone to take an unnecessary risk.”Interim President Richard Seagrave said there were no major problems on campus due to the weather Monday.”Although the weather conditions are miserable, they are not life threatening,” he said.Filldach said freezing rain and sleet conditions formed over Missouri and moved north to southern and central Iowa. He said the storms created hazardous driving conditions.”If you’re driving, be safe, leave early and take your time,” Filldach said.Ames Police dispatcher Maggie Reitano said that as of 1:30 p.m., at least six accidents had been reported in Ames.CyRide driver Pete Baty said driving conditions were not dangerous as long as drivers were cautious and drove slowly. He said CyRide buses stayed pretty close to the route schedule and more students boarded the bus instead of taking on the slushy sidewalks and streets.”The ridership for CyRide did increase from the slush and wet conditions,” Baty said.Some students, however, were less than thrilled about their treks through the Iowa winter elements.”It was cold, it was wet, the sidewalks were not cleared and I needed galoshes to wade through the puddles and water that seemed like a river,” said Rachael Owens, sophomore in animal science. “Walking on the ice and trying not to fall was my biggest concern.”Bill Gallus, assistant professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, said there have been no abnormal threats of flooding this spring from this winter’s heavy snows.”We are lucky right now because the snow that has accumulated has melted away slowly, erasing the problems,” he said. Because the ground is frozen this winter, unlike the last, most of the water flows into the rivers instead of being absorbed into the ground, he said.”The weather in the next month will be a big factor in determining conditions for the spring,” Gallus said.While there are always risks involved in inclement weather, Madden said snow and ice should not surprise any students.”This is Iowa,” he said. “This kind of weather is part of living here.”