Campus Alert Archive
Morgan State

Snowzilla Closes Morgan State Fri-Mon: Baltimore's Record 29-Inch Blizzard Shuts HBCU

MDwinter stormadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Winter Storm Jonas -- dubbed 'Snowzilla' by residents -- struck the Mid-Atlantic from January 22-24, 2016, burying Baltimore in 29.2 inches of snow, its largest single-storm snowfall on record. Morgan State University, Maryland's public HBCU, closed from Friday through Monday, canceling all classes and events as Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and banned all non-emergency travel.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Morgan State University
Hbcu · MD
~7,800 studentsMorgan Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages 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 ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction496 chars
Morgan State University will be CLOSED on Friday, January 22 due to the anticipated blizzard. All classes, events, and non-essential operations are canceled. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has declared a State of Emergency. All non-essential personnel should not report to campus. Residential students should remain in the residence halls and follow the guidance of residential life staff. Essential personnel only: please use extreme caution in any travel. Updates will be provided at morgan.edu.

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

Pre-storm closure announced the evening before landfall -- standard for major forecasted blizzards in the Baltimore-Washington corridor
Governor's State of Emergency declaration is cited directly in the message -- a legal underpinning that affects mandatory vs. voluntary closure
Residential student guidance to shelter in dorms is explicit -- important for a residential HBCU campus
Reconstructed from secondary reporting
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction327 chars
MORGAN ALERT: Campus remains closed Saturday and Sunday, January 23-24. All classes and activities are canceled. DO NOT attempt to travel -- the Governor's ban on non-emergency travel remains in effect. Residential dining is open for resident students. Snow removal will begin when conditions allow. Next update Monday morning.

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

Weekend closure extension was announced simultaneously with Saturday-Sunday cancellations -- a single message covering both days
Travel ban reinforcement: the message echoes the Governor's legal prohibition, not just university policy
Residential dining status included -- critical operational information for on-campus students during multi-day closure
Reconstructed from secondary sources
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction387 chars
Morgan State University will reopen for normal operations on Tuesday, January 26. Classes and all campus activities will resume. Snow removal crews have been working around the clock to clear walkways and parking lots. Please exercise caution on remaining icy surfaces. The Governor has lifted the travel ban as of Sunday evening. Thank you for your patience during the Blizzard of 2016.

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

Reopening announcement came Monday for Tuesday return -- a one-day notice consistent with Mid-Atlantic blizzard recovery timelines
Specific mention of 'around the clock' snow removal signals operational continuity through the closure
Travel ban lift confirmed -- shows university tracking state emergency orders and communicating their end
Reconstructed from secondary sources
Context

Background

Winter Storm Jonas -- commonly called Snowzilla in the Washington-Baltimore area -- struck the Mid-Atlantic coast from January 22-24, 2016, producing record snowfalls across the region. Baltimore recorded its largest single-storm snowfall in history at 29.2 inches, and Washington, D.C., received 26 inches at Dulles Airport. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and imposed a ban on non-emergency vehicle travel, which most universities in the state echoed in their closure announcements. Morgan State University, Maryland's flagship public HBCU with an enrollment of approximately 7,800, closed from Friday through Monday -- a four-day closure uncommon even for severe snowstorms. The Jonas blizzard was notable in the HBCU context because many historically Black colleges in the Mid-Atlantic sit in cities that received historically unprecedented snowfall, creating logistical challenges for students from warmer Southern states who may have lacked winter preparedness gear. The January 2016 blizzard killed 55 people across the region and caused an estimated $1.5 billion in insured losses.
Analysis

Key Findings

Baltimore's 29.2 inches from Jonas was the city's largest single-storm snowfall on record, forcing a four-day closure of Morgan State
Maryland Governor's travel ban made the closure a legal matter, not purely an institutional decision
Four-day closure (Friday-Monday) was among the longest weather-related shutdowns of any Maryland university for Jonas
Residential dining continuity was explicitly communicated -- critical for on-campus students at a primarily residential HBCU
Outcome
Campus closed Friday January 22 through Monday January 25. No casualties. Reopened Tuesday January 26 after snow removal operations.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Source
    January 2016 United States blizzard -- Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
  2. News
    Remembering Maryland's record-breaking 2016 blizzard -- Fox Baltimore
    foxbaltimore.com
  3. Source
    Winter Storm Summary for January 22-24, 2016 -- NWS Philadelphia
    weather.gov
  4. Source
    Blizzard of 2016: Winter Storm Jonas Historical Impact -- Moody's
    moodys.com
Tags
winter-stormblizzardjonassnowzillamarylandhbcutravel-banclosurerecord-snowfalladvisory
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion