- February 02, 2026
- By Maryland Today Staff
After getting walloped by a winter storm last week, the University of Maryland resumes in-person classes on Monday.
Nearly 7 inches of snow fell in College Park on Jan. 25, initially sending Terps newly arrived for the start of the Spring 2026 semester out to McKeldin Mall for gleeful sledding on inflatable tubes and flattened cardboard boxes. They bundled up to make snow angels, snowmen and snow Testudos.
But the several inches of crackling sleet that followed soon froze, hardening into a thick, almost impenetrable sheet of ice. As windchills plummeted to the single digits—the area hasn’t reached 32 degrees since Jan. 23—the ongoing bitter cold complicated the cleanup and hampered university operations and even the campus’ infrastructure.
An exterior interim boiler plant, being used until a permanent central energy plant becomes operational later this year, experienced several steam outages. After buildings lost heat and hot water temporarily, Resident Life and Residential Facilities staff provided students who remained on campus with blankets and warming centers.
Though classes were canceled for the week, many faculty offered asynchronous learning. In addition, the deadlines for dropping and adding classes, receiving refunds for course withdrawal and mandatory waitlist check-in have been extended by one week.
Dining Services, Resident Life, Residential Facilities and RecWell teams continued to provide services and support to students. A skeleton crew of 200 Dining Services team members — down from the usual 1,000 — worked 12- to 15-hour days to feed Terps on campus. Extensive roof and ceiling repairs to damage at Yahentamitsi Dining Hall were completed over the weekend, and it is now open its usual hours; while crews continue to work there, a temporary dining hall location will open in the Stamp Student Union’s Colony Ballroom from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
The extreme cold was especially a burden for Facilities Management crews charged with removing the ice from 87 miles of sidewalks and 20 miles of roads on campus, along with dozens of parking lots. They’ve been working around the clock since Jan. 24. With the help of several contractors, they moved more than 300 truckloads of ice chunks and snow as of Friday. But full plows cannot be used on sidewalks, and hand shoveling is minimally effective, while the risk of personal injury is significantly higher.
Emily Cosci, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Department of Transportation Services, said the staff there was focused on restoring shuttle service, clearing the bus yard “and giving our vehicles a much-needed ‘back massage’ to remove snow and ice from rooftops.”
On Thursday, Shuttle-UM service resumed on a Sunday schedule, with full paratransit and NITE Ride operations also restored. Student employees’ dedication and responsiveness were absolutely crucial to these efforts, she added.
It’s rarely looked less like the start of a spring semester. Just see the photos below.
Campus leaders offered the following tips to navigate the frigid aftermath of Winter Storm Fern:
- Stay alert when out walking. Sidewalks that have been cleared of snow may remain icy, particularly in shaded or high-use areas, so watch your footing. Since ice buildup on trees may cause branches to fall without warning, avoid walking under trees when possible.
- Limit time outdoors and dress for the weather.
- Move your vehicle to its assigned lot, per guidance issued by DOTS.
- Report building or grounds issues — such as flooding or water intrusion, a broken or open window or a fallen tree — to FM’s Customer Response Center at 301.405.2222.
- Watch closely for signs of cold-weather health problems such as hypothermia and frostbite. Report emergencies or medical conditions to UMPD at 301.405.3555.
Students cross Heritage Plaza on a cleared path through the snow on Jan. 26. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)
Heavy equipment lines up Wednesday in Lot 1b to help open up campus after the devastating storm. (Photo courtesy of Division of Administration)
Snowballs fly as students frolic on McKeldin Mall on Jan. 25. (Photo by Lauren Epstein ‘29)
Students make snow angels on McKeldin Mall on Jan. 25. (Photo by Lauren Epstein ‘29)
William Iwanicki ‘27 (left) and Daniel Gregory ‘27 give Ayden Leith ‘27 a push as he attempts to gather speed on an improvised sled near Adele H. Stamp Student Union on Jan. 25. (Photo by Lauren Epstein ‘29)
A Shuttle-UM employee clears snow and ice from atop a bus at UMD’s bus depot. (Photo courtesy of Department of Transportation Services)