Simon Gorelikov doesn’t really see what all the fuss is about. The junior pharmacy major, a native of Moscow, is used to powerful blizzards like the one that dropped nearly two feet of snow on Boston last weekend.

“I actually went for a walk with my roommate in the middle of it. We’re used to it in Russia,” Gorelikov said. “I’ve seen winters like that before and I’ve been in Boston for five years, so it’s no big deal.”

The first big winter storm of 2005 ranked fifth on Boston’s list of snowiest storms, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), leaving 22.5 inches of snow on the streets of Boston and Northeastern’s campus. Hurricane-force winds accompanied the storm, with gusts between 30 and 60 miles per hour at times, the NWS reported.

By the time the storm ended Sunday evening, the city — along with most of Massachusetts — was in a state of emergency. Nonessential state workers were asked to stay home, giving some co-op students a day off. Classes were called off and campus offices were closed Monday, giving faculty, administration and students a three-day weekend.

“We were concerned for the safety of students and also wanted to respect the city’s wish of reducing volume of traffic coming into the city because of congestion in the streets,” said D. Joseph Griffin, director of public safety.

But for many, Monday meant a day for uncovering their cars from the mountains of snow, not a day of relaxation.

“I have a resident parking sticker and it’s first come first serve,” said Costa Bellemare-Papadimitriou, a psychology graduate student. “I shoveled out my spot this morning and, most likely, it won’t be there later.”

Students with overnight Northeastern parking passes had the opportunity to move their cars from open lots to the Columbus Garage and Renaissance Garage, protecting their cars from the onslaught of snow. Students and community members with resident parking stickers were also allowed to park in Renaissance Garage for a reduced fee.

“We did not increase the parking rates because of the snow emergency,” said Ada Castillo, an evening manager at Renaissance Garage. “Actually we are giving 50 percent off their ticket for however long they parked as a courtesy and a factor because of the weather.”

Renaissance Garage quickly filled and remained full through yesterday morning, Castillo said. Anyone with a Northeastern pass that went to the full lot yesterday was directed to an open lot across the street, she said.

Boston’s parking ban continued through yesterday as plows attempted to clear the streets. Sidewalks began being cleared yesterday so pedestrians wouldn’t walk in the streets to avoid the deep snow.

“The biggest problem is pedestrian safety,” Griffin said. “Students are forced to walk in the street in the initial stages [of clearing snow.]”

Residents were advised by city and state officials to stay inside and wait out the storm for their own safety. A clear jump in residence dining hall attendance was noticed, said Director of Food Services Michael Vigna.

Levine Marketplace in Stetson East and the Stetson West dining hall both operated on normal hours throughout the duration of the storm and Monday, he said. Stetson West even opened on Sunday night for the New England Patriots game, where free pizza and soda were offered to students who wanted to watch the game on the plasma screen televisions.

The Curry Student Center also remained open throughout the storm, although food service was cut back dramatically on Monday, Vigna said. Both Crossroads Market and Wendy’s opened from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., but customers were few and far between.

“The hours we were open, we took in $900 compared to $18,000 we would take in on a normal day,” Vigna said. “That’s quite a drop-off.”

Classes resumed Tuesday and administrative offices reopened. Students said they were able to make it to their classes without too much trouble.

“I don’t think it should [hinder getting around]; maybe I’ll leave a bit early to get to class, but that’s about it,” said Kate Orsillo, a sophomore nursing major.

Others said they enjoyed the snow and the day off it gave them.

“I love snow and it makes me happy and reminds me why I love living here,” said Preety Sidhu, a senior political science and economics major. “As long as it’s not too cold, I’ll still go out.”

More snow is expected to hit eastern Massachusetts, as the NWS forcasted three to six additional inches of snow for today.

– Staff writers Amanda Carswell and Dinah Alobeid contributed to this report.