Inclement Weather

The best way to receive inclement weather notifications directly is to sign up for UMD text alerts. 

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

• UMD homepage (www.umd.edu)
• Twitter (@President_Pines, @UMDRightNow and @UofMaryland)
• Facebook
• UMD Alerts
• 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. The university makes every effort to communicate changes to campus operations by 4:30 a.m. 

The university may delay opening or close the campus in the event that inclement weather conditions pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the university community. A variety of factors are taken into consideration, including access to public transportation and Metro, the status of campus roads and sidewalks, availability of power and internet access on campus, and conditions on roads and sidewalks off campus and across the region.

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 in the campus closure communication. The closing may not apply to essential employees. Those employees should contact their supervisor or department head for instructions. 

The following definitions apply to individuals who are considered essential during inclement weather events:

• Weather/Other: Employees who are subject to being required to work because of weather or operational emergencies such as snow removal, flooding, electrical outages, etc.
• Catastrophic & Weather/Other: Employees who are subject to being required to work to maintain continuity of University services in the event of any major catastrophic event AND who are also subject to being required to work because of weather or operational emergencies. For certain positions, work may be able to be completed remotely.

If an employee is unsure whether they are an essential employee for inclement weather events, they should contact their supervisor for guidance. 

Information for frequently requested services include:

• Resident Life:  When the University is closed due to inclement weather, residence halls remain open, however, Resident Life administrative offices are closed. Resident students who need assistance should contact their residence hall service desk to contact on-duty Resident Life staff. In an emergency, residents should contact the University of Maryland Police Department immediately by calling 301-405-3333. Residents should check the Resident Life website, follow @UMDReslife on Twitter, and monitor email regularly for any pertinent residence halls updates.
• Dining Services: In the event of a campus closure, Dining Services operates on an abbreviated schedule. For up-to-date information, visit the Dining Services website; or find additional information about Dining Services policies during emergency conditions.
• Health Center: The University Health Center’s hours may vary during weather-related campus closures. If the UHC is able to open during a campus closure event, then they will only be available for urgent visits and will operate with limited hours. If the UHC is unable to open, then some previously scheduled in-person visits will be converted to telemedicine visits (if possible). In addition, other appointments may be rescheduled or canceled in the event the UHC is unable to open during a campus closure event. For the latest information on UHC’s availability, please visit the University Health Center’s website. For life-threatening or mental health emergencies, call 911 (off-campus) or 301-405-3333 (on-campus for University of Maryland Police Department)
• Counseling Center: The Counseling Center is closed whenever the university is closed, including closures for inclement weather. Anytime the Counseling Center is closed, our After Hours Phone Line can be accessed by calling the main Counseling Center number at 301-314-7651. The After Hours Phone Line is available for urgent situations, providing access to a mental health professional over the phone (appointment scheduling and rescheduling cannot be done via the After Hours Phone Line). In the case of an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
• Libraries: The University Libraries follow the same closing schedule as the university. Access to online resources will be available.
• Stamp Student Union: In the event that the university is closed, all events in the Stamp will be canceled. If the university has a delayed opening, the Stamp will open 30 minutes before the university's scheduled opening time, and events will begin one hour after the university's scheduled opening time. If the university closes early during the regular operational hours of the Stamp, all events will end one hour before the scheduled university close time and the Stamp may possibly remain open for up to one hour after the university's scheduled closing time. Follow @thestampumd on Twitter or visit Stamp’s website for the latest information on the Stamp’s hours of operation, service departments, and retail vendors during inclement weather.
• Transportation: When campus is closed, Shuttle-UM service may be reduced or suspended entirely. If campus closes early, DOTS will do its best to operate at least one additional shuttle run of each route following the closure time prior to suspending service. DOTS will closely monitor campus road conditions when considering when to resume service. Download the Transit App to receive weather-related closures and delays and follow @DOTS_UMD on Twitter for the latest details. For parking, DOTS may encourage students to move their vehicles into garages to expedite snow removal from the parking lots. DOTS will email or text students with information.
• University Recreation & Wellness: When campus is closed, RecWell facilities will operate on an abbreviated schedule and all RecWell programs, including group fitness classes, will be canceled. For more information about the availability of RecWell facilities during inclement weather, including provisions for when the university opens late, closes early, or is closed for the day, visit RecWell’s inclement weather website or follow @UMDRecWell on Twitter.

Classes scheduled while the university is closed are canceled. In the case of a late opening or early closing, students are expected to report to their classes for any period of time that the university is open.

For example, if a class runs from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. and the university is opening late at 10 a.m., students will be expected to attend that class for its remaining time, from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m

Faculty and instructors are responsible for communicating with students with instructions for participating in their classes virtually. 

Please check umterps.com and follow @umterps on Twitter for the status of athletic events.

Please check theclarice.umd.edu for the status of events at The Clarice.

When the university makes a decision on its open or closed status, the university notifies other campuses who may also be affected by inclement weather, such as the Universities at Shady Grove and the USM Southern Maryland regional center. It is up to those institutions to determine their open or closed status and notify their campus community.