Campus Alert Archive
MIT

MIT Closes for the Season's First Blockbuster as Harvard Stays Open Next Door

MAwinter stormemergency notificationmedium confidence

A late-January 2026 snowstorm that dropped roughly 23 inches on Greater Boston prompted MIT to close all campus operations and cancel Monday, January 26 classes. MIT closed alongside Boston University and Tufts, while Harvard controversially kept its College classes in person even as several of its graduate schools moved remote.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Private R1 · MA
MIT Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Harvard Crimson and BU coverage194 chars
MIT Alert: Due to the major winter storm, MIT is closed on Monday, Jan. 26. Classes are canceled and only essential employees should report to campus. Avoid travel and monitor email for updates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from regional reporting that MIT, BU and Tufts closed and canceled Monday classes; the exact MIT Alert text was not recovered from an official archive.
MIT's decision to fully close stood in visible contrast to neighboring Harvard's choice to hold College classes in person, a juxtaposition that drew significant student commentary.
Context

Background

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the first major snowstorm of the New England season bore down on Greater Boston, ultimately dropping roughly 23 inches on the metro through Monday. MIT closed all campus operations and canceled Monday classes, as did Boston University and Tufts. The decision was thrown into sharp relief by neighboring Harvard, which chose to hold College classes in person even as the Harvard Law, Kennedy, Divinity and other graduate schools moved remote, and where students publicly criticized the in-person decision as 'the wrong call.' For MIT, a dense urban campus straddling Cambridge with heavy commuter and graduate-student populations, a full closure removes the hazard of students and staff navigating unplowed streets and the MBTA during a blockbuster storm. The contrast between adjacent institutions making opposite calls underscores how much weather-closure decisions reflect institutional judgment rather than a single regional standard.
Analysis

Key Findings

MIT fully closed and canceled classes for Monday, January 26, 2026 as a ~23-inch storm hit Greater Boston, joining BU and Tufts
Neighboring Harvard kept College classes in person while moving graduate schools remote, a visible split-decision among adjacent Cambridge/Boston institutions
MIT's full closure reflects the commuter and transit exposure of an urban campus during a blockbuster snow event
Outcome
MIT closed campus operations and canceled classes for Monday, January 26, 2026 as the region's first major storm of the season buried Cambridge. Normal operations resumed afterward.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Several Graduate Schools Move Instruction and Staff Remote Monday Due to Winter Storm - The Harvard Crimson
    thecrimson.com
  2. official
    With Major Snowstorm Coming, Boston University Closes Campuses Sunday at Noon Through Monday - BU Today
    bu.edu
  3. Student Paper
    'It's the Wrong Call': Students React to College's Decision to Hold In-Person Classes During Snowstorm - The Harvard Crimson
    thecrimson.com
Tags
winter-stormsnowmassachusettsbostoncampus-closureclass-cancellation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion