{
  "id": "2026-01-26-longwood-university-winter-storm-fern-closures",
  "slug": "longwood-university-winter-storm-fern-closures-2026-01-26",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Longwood University",
    "shortName": "Longwood",
    "state": "VA",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "Longwood Alerts / alerts.longwood.edu",
    "enrollment": 5000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2026-01-26",
    "endDate": "2026-01-28",
    "type": "winter-storm",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "resolved",
    "headline": "Icy conditions close campus then delay Wednesday reopening",
    "headlinePublic": "Icy conditions close campus then delay Wednesday reopening",
    "summary": "Longwood [closed campus Monday, Jan. 26 for Winter Storm Fern and ice](https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-closed-1-26-26/), [remained closed Tuesday, Jan. 27](https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-closed-1-27-26/), then [reopened at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28 with 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. classes canceled](https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-delayed-opening-1-28-26/).",
    "outcome": "Two closed days for ice, then a 10 a.m. Wednesday delayed opening. In-person classes did not meet on the closed days."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-24T17:16:42-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Longwood University campus will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, due to inclement weather and icy conditions.\n\n\n\nWe have been closely monitoring the weather forecast and preparing for the possibility of power outages resulting from Winter Storm Fern. In the event of a loss of power, Dorrill Dining Hall has generators and will be able to provide food. Dining services will deliver food to the POD at Lancer Park. Please be aware that if campus-managed residences lose power, toilets will continue to work. We will also open a warming station in Willett Hall, which has a generator system, phone charging availability, and working bathrooms in the event of power loss. If there is a power outage, we will work closely with the power company on an estimated time for power restoration and stay in communication with the campus community.\n\n\n\nAmended hours for on-campus facilities on Monday are:\n\n\nLongwood Dining\n\n \tDorrill Dining Hall: Open on a brunch–dinner schedule, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.\n \tChick-fil-A: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\n \tMoe’s: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\n \tPOD Market: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\n \tPanda Express, FarmGrill, Greens to Go: Closed\n \tUpchurch Starbucks: Closed\n \tThe Comma: Closed\n\nFacilities\n\n \tUpchurch University Center: Closed\n \tN.H. Scott Center at Lankford: Closed\n \tGreenwood Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; resources available online (http://library.longwood.edu)\n \tHealth & Fitness Center: Closed\n \tUniversity Health Center: Closed (The nurse advice line is available for non-emergent cases at 805-858-3117. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911.)\n \tWygal Hall: Closed\n\n\n\n \tPlease stay off the roads as travel conditions are expected to be treacherous.\n \tThe National Weather Service is forecasting ice accumulation beginning Sunday. For your safety, please avoid Stubbs Lawn and stay clear of large trees, as heavy snow and ice can cause branches to fall.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-closed-1-26-26/",
      "sourceDescription": "Longwood Alerts archive: campus closed Jan. 26",
      "annotations": [
        "Dual independent WP REST fetch 2026-08-24 (content byte-agreement) after curl TLS cert-expired (named); second fetch used -k. sha256 9963059ee233c6d76ffdb701ddc1a677480c920fc176ddf5903f3b385d81e285. HTML en-dash in brunch-dinner schedule preserved as extracted.",
        "WP date 2026-01-24T17:16:42 (UTC assumed from REST); EST applied.",
        "Distinct incident from 2026-03-16-longwood-university-early-close-severe-storms: different storm and date.",
        "Distinct incident from 2026-03-13-longwood-university-greenwood-library-bomb-threat: different type."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1901
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-26T13:35:21-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Longwood University campus will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, due to inclement weather and icy conditions. We expect that campus will be open and operating on a normal schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 28.\n\n\n\n  While campus is closed, classes will not be held in person. Faculty should communicate with students about adjustments to the class schedule, which may include meeting online or alternative assignments. Students should check their email and Canvas for communications.\n\n\n\n  Faculty and staff who need to come to campus Tuesday for any reason should park in the parking garage. All other faculty and staff lots will be closed to allow the grounds team to properly clear them.\n\n\n\n  Please do not park in the retail spaces at Longwood Landings to allow for clearing the area. Students living in Lancer Park who have not already done so should move their vehicles to either the freshman or visitors parking areas.\n\n\n\n  Amended hours for on-campus facilities on Tuesday are:\n\n\n\nLongwood Dining\n\n \tDorrill Dining Hall: Open on a brunch–dinner schedule, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.\n \tChick-fil-A: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\n \tMoe’s: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\n \tPOD Market: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\n \tPanda Express, FarmGrill, Greens to Go: Closed\n \tUpchurch Starbucks: Closed\n \tThe Comma: Closed\n\nFacilities\n\n \tUpchurch University Center: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.\n \tN.H. Scott Center at Lankford: Closed\n \tGreenwood Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; resources available online (http://library.longwood.edu)\n \tHealth & Fitness Center: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.\n \tUniversity Health Center: Closed (A nurse advice line is available for non-emergent cases at 805-858-3117. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911.)\n\nFAB\nThe FAB will not run the Campus Direct line on Tuesday. The Express line will run on a regular schedule. The Blue line will not begin service until noon.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-closed-1-27-26/",
      "sourceDescription": "Longwood Alerts archive: campus closed Jan. 27",
      "annotations": [
        "Dual independent WP REST fetch 2026-08-24. sha256 7746181441d63600a7a039665e18967756e4609486ef9bd95faf603c8de79ba9.",
        "WP date 2026-01-26T13:35:21."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1856
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-27T15:23:26-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Longwood University will open at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, due to icy conditions.\n\n\n\nFor 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. classes that are canceled, faculty should communicate with students about their plans, which may include meeting online or alternative assignments. Students should check their email and Canvas for communications.\n\n\n\n  Amended hours for on-campus facilities on Wednesday are:\n\n\n\n  Longwood Dining\n  \n    Dorrill Dining Hall: Normal operating hours; open at 7 a.m.\n    Chick-fil-A: Normal operating hours; open at 7:30 a.m.\n    Moe’s: Normal operating hours; open at 11 a.m.\n    POD Market: Normal operating hours; open at 3 p.m.\n    Panda Express: Normal operating hours; open at 10:30 a.m.\n    FarmGrill: Opening at 10 a.m.\n    Greens to Go: Normal operating hours; open at 10 a.m.\n    Upchurch Starbucks: Opening at 10 a.m.\n    The Comma: Opening at 10 a.m.\n  \n\n  Facilities\n  \n    Upchurch University Center: Opening at 10 a.m.\n    N.H. Scott Center at Lankford: Opening at 10 a.m.\n    Greenwood Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; resources available online (http://library.longwood.edu)\n    Health & Fitness Center: Opening at 10 a.m.\n    University Health Center: Opening at 10 a.m.\n  \n\n  FAB\n  The FAB Campus line will begin picking up students at Lancer Park at 9 a.m. FAB buses will only pick up at the top of the hill on Cormier Drive. FAB will monitor conditions throughout the day and adjust pickup locations as needed.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-delayed-opening-1-28-26/",
      "sourceDescription": "Longwood Alerts archive: delayed opening Jan. 28",
      "annotations": [
        "Dual independent WP REST fetch 2026-08-24. sha256 d6b970f5e6e1df9733d2d5ada4c4a833d6ad29b721dad2762faa3e935e9c7928.",
        "WP date 2026-01-27T15:23:26."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1440
    }
  ],
  "context": "Longwood posts weather and emergency products at [alerts.longwood.edu](https://alerts.longwood.edu/) (TLS certificate expired as of 2026-08-24; content retrieved after the named cert failure). These three products cover Winter Storm Fern ice: Monday and Tuesday campus closures, then a 10 a.m. Wednesday delayed opening. Rave longwood/channel1 still retains the October 2024 Moss Hall bomb-threat item, not these weather products.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Monday and Tuesday closures for ice, with a 10 a.m. Wednesday delayed opening.",
    "The Monday product named Winter Storm Fern and stood up a Willett Hall warming station if power failed.",
    "Stay-off-roads and avoid-Stubbs-Lawn / falling-branch instructions accompanied the first closure."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Longwood Alerts: campus closed Jan. 26",
      "url": "https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-closed-1-26-26/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-24",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture 2026-08-24; origin TLS certificate expired (curl 60); content retrieved after named cert failure"
    },
    {
      "title": "Longwood Alerts: campus closed Jan. 27",
      "url": "https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-closed-1-27-26/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-24",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523; TLS certificate expired"
    },
    {
      "title": "Longwood Alerts: delayed opening Jan. 28",
      "url": "https://alerts.longwood.edu/campus-delayed-opening-1-28-26/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-24",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523; TLS certificate expired"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "public-masters",
    "virginia",
    "longwood",
    "winter-storm",
    "2026"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-08-24",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-08-24",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}