Many Washington and Lee students expected snow on Feb. 11 and 12—but not the last-minute closures that left many scrambling as the university made its decision to close mid-morning.
The storm brought almost a foot of snow to Lexington, followed by icy conditions that made travel hazardous, according to a WSLS article. While the university ultimately decided to close campus, many questioned the timing of the announcements, which came after morning classes.
Ella Van Wyk, ’27, was among the students who got up early for class Tuesday morning, expecting a delayed start but not a full closure.
She and her classmates sat through over an hour of class before the General Alerts system, W&L’s emergency notification platform, sent out a message announcing that the university would close at 10 a.m.
“We all looked around because the professor didn’t see it at first,” Van Wyk said. “Someone finally said, ‘Hey, like, the university just got canceled.’”
Later that night, at about 9:30 p.m., W&L sent another message announcing a delayed opening on Feb. 12, with classes set to begin at 10 a.m. But shortly after 9 a.m. the next day, the university announced its closing for the day.
For some faculty, the late decision-making meant unnecessary and even dangerous commutes. Tim Campbell, a visiting earth and environmental geoscience professor who lives about 20 minutes outside Lexington, made the drive to campus early Wednesday morning, expecting to teach his 10 a.m. class. But just before classes were set to begin, he got the cancellation alert.
That wasn’t his first run-in with the university’s delayed decisions. The day before, Campbell faced a challenging commute home due to the university’s delayed response.
“I made the dumb decision to drive home that afternoon, when it started to freeze, when it switched to the freezing rain,” Campbell said. “So that was a fun drive.”
Despite the confusion, many students embraced the snow days as an unexpected break before midterms.
“It was nice to have a little break,” Van Wyk said. “Me and some friends went outside for a little bit but were also catching up on schoolwork.”
However, for professors like Campbell, the disruption to the academic schedule was difficult to manage, particularly with midterms approaching.
“One of my classes stayed on schedule, but my other class got a class behind, and I felt that push with break,” Campbell said. “It was an awkward amount of time—like do we start a new unit?”
Lexington City Schools announced their closures on Monday night for Tuesday and again on Tuesday night for Wednesday, giving students, parents and staff ample time to prepare. Liberty University, located about an hour from Lexington, also closed its campus on Monday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 12, due to the snowfall. The university notified students of full-day closures the night before and implemented contingency plans for remote classes when needed, according to the Liberty Champion.
W&L administrators monitor weather forecasts and begin discussions 24 hours before a potential weather event to determine if changes to campus operations are necessary, according to Will Edgar, senior director of editorial and constituent communications. This year’s annual inclement weather policy reminder was sent on Jan. 3, outlining the university’s decision-making process for closures and delays, Edgar wrote in an email to the Phi.
Senior administrators, including the Provost’s Office and University Facilities, assess weather conditions to determine whether the campus can open safely. Factors include the severity and timing of the storm, potential impacts on class and work schedules and whether affected events can be rescheduled or held virtually, Edgar wrote.
While these discussions began the day before, the university did not announce its Tuesday closure until after the school day had already begun. On Wednesday, the decision to close was made just minutes before the university was scheduled to open.
“The administration always endeavors to make these decisions and communicate them as quickly as possible,” Edgar wrote. “Adjustments to decisions may be necessary to reflect changing weather conditions.”
For some students, the delayed announcements felt familiar.
“The sort of delayed communications honestly reminded me of the lockdown last year,” said Ali Wills, ’27. “It felt like we were all just waiting for the university to make a call, even though we could see what was happening in real time.”
On Nov. 1, 2023, W&L went into lockdown for nearly four hours after officials received an anonymous email threatening violence, prompting a building-by-building police search before law enforcement determined there was no active threat.
That lockdown left students, faculty and parents frustrated by a lack of clear information during and after the event. Professors said they felt unprepared to keep students safe, and many parents first heard about the situation through social media rather than official university updates, according to previous reporting from the Phi.
While the university has not addressed whether its emergency communication protocols will change, Edgar said W&L ultimately relies on its students, faculty and staff to make their own safety decisions when conditions are uncertain.
“In remaining open, the university does not advise anyone to travel who feels that they cannot do so safely,” he wrote. “Commuting students, faculty and non-essential staff should exercise their best personal judgment regarding their local road conditions and other safety concerns.”
Van Wyk said she understood that the snowstorm created a complicated situation, but she wishes the university had communicated its plans more effectively.
“I think that they should have said something the day before,” Van Wyk said. “They knew it was gonna happen, and they knew it was gonna be a lot of snow.”
