Seeking Information About Weather-Related Closures? Here Are All the Ways to Find It

Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice sent the following email to the campus community on Friday:

As we begin the spring semester and the potential for severe weather increases, we want to remind everyone about how the university communicates weather-related closures and schedule changes.

The university may close, delay opening or close the campus early in the event of extreme weather conditions such as heavy snowfall or freezing rain. This decision will be made based on the severity of the weather, the potential impact on campus operations and the safety of our students, faculty and staff. We prioritize our campus safety while doing our very best to minimize impacts on the academic and research enterprise.

Notification Procedures
The best way to receive inclement weather notifications directly is to make sure you are signed up for UMD text alerts.

Updates regarding UMD’s closures, delays and other schedule changes will be announced through various channels, including:

• UMD Alerts via text message and email
• UMD homepage (umd.edu)
• Twitter/X (@President_Pines, @UMDRightNow and @UofMaryland)
• UMD Snowline (x5-SNOW or 301.405.7669)

The university will not make an announcement if the campus is open and operating under normal operations. Every effort will be made to communicate changes to campus operations by 4:30 a.m. Local media outlets often cover changes to university operations; however, for the most up-to-date information, please check the university sites listed.

Campus Impact and FAQs
When the university is closed, all classes during that time are canceled, and all university offices and non-essential services are closed unless specifically noted.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found on umd.edu/weather, including information regarding:

• Availability of student services during a closure
• Class schedule impacts
• Definitions of weather-essential employees

I would like to extend a special thanks to our weather-essential staff who make sure we meet the needs of our on-campus Terps during a severe weather event. Crews did an especially incredible job of clearing snow and ice these past two winter storms this month. Wishing all of you a safe and healthy winter in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Jennifer King Rice
Senior Vice President and Provost
She/Her/Hers