{
  "id": "2026-01-26-texas-state-university-winter-storm-fern-closure",
  "slug": "texas-state-university-winter-storm-fern-closure-2026-01-26",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Texas State University",
    "shortName": "TXST",
    "state": "TX",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TXSTATE Alert",
    "enrollment": 40000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2026-01-26",
    "type": "winter-storm",
    "cleryCategory": "advisory",
    "resolution": "weather-cleared",
    "headline": "Winter storm, January 26, 2026",
    "summary": "On January 26, 2026, [Texas State University closed both its San Marcos and Round Rock campuses](https://safety.txst.edu/updates/winter-weather-jan-2026.html) due to Winter Storm Fern, a powerful arctic blast that brought freezing rain, sleet, and a hard freeze to Central Texas. All in-person and [online classes were canceled](https://universitystar.com/34256/news/texas-state-cancels-monday-classes-amid-winter-weather/) and all university events were called off. The university announced the closure by 6 p.m. Sunday, January 25, via TXSTATE Alert text messages and email.",
    "outcome": "Texas State University reopened at regular hours Tuesday, January 27, 2026, with all classes held as scheduled. No injuries reported on either campus. The closure was part of a regional pattern that also shuttered UT Austin, University of Houston, Lone Star College System, and most Central Texas school districts.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2026-01-25T18:00:00-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "Due to winter weather conditions, TXST San Marcos and Round Rock Campuses will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. TXST will continue monitoring conditions and will provide an update on Tuesday’s schedule no later than 2 p.m. Monday.  \n\nMore info. online. https://safety.txst.edu/updates/winter-weather-jan-2026.html",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceDescription": "@txst on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact @txst winter weather Monday closure post. Double space before newline after \"Monday.\" preserved."
      ],
      "characterCount": 316,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/txst/status/2015530745553355167"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Monday afternoon, January 26, 2026 CST",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Texas State University will return to normal operations on Tuesday, January 27, with different start times by campus.\n\nSan Marcos Campus: All facilities and offices will open at regular hours and classes will be held as scheduled on Tuesday.\nRound Rock Campus: All facilities and offices will open at noon, and classes will be held as scheduled for the remainder of the day.\n\nWhile conditions are improving, some walkways and roads may refreeze. Please continue to use caution when walking and driving and allow extra time for travel if needed.\n\nStudents or employees who are unable to make it to either campus due to local conditions, should contact their supervisor or instructor.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceDescription": "TXST Safety & Emergency Communications winter weather archive (Monday Jan 26 reopening)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact Monday reopening message from the official TXST winter weather archive FAQ block."
      ],
      "characterCount": 682,
      "sourceUrl": "https://safety.txst.edu/updates/winter-weather-jan-2026.html"
    }
  ],
  "context": "Late January 2026 brought a classic shallow-cold-air event to Texas as Winter Storm Fern, an arctic outbreak that undercut subtropical air, produced freezing rain, sleet, and snow across [Central Texas](https://www.weather.gov/fwd/january2026) and the I-35 corridor. Texas State University, with about 40,000 students across its [San Marcos and Round Rock campuses](https://safety.txst.edu/updates/winter-weather-jan-2026.html), [announced its closure for Monday, January 26](https://www.facebook.com/txstateu/posts/due-to-winter-weather-conditions-txst-will-be-closed-on-monday-jan-26-2026-all-c/1299015698924990/) by Sunday evening, January 25, falling within the university's stated 6 p.m. Sunday decision deadline. The closure aligned TXST with [UT Austin, the University of Houston, Lone Star College System](https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-weather-school-closures-delays-jan-26-2026-texas-winter-storm), and East Texas Baptist University, all of which shut their campuses for the storm. The storm killed at least seven people across Texas, including five children, and produced more than 5,800 flight cancellations in the region between January 23 and 28. Texas State [reopened Tuesday, January 27](https://universitystar.com/34256/news/texas-state-cancels-monday-classes-amid-winter-weather/) without further weather disruption.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Texas State's Sunday-evening closure announcement matched the university's published 6 p.m. decision deadline, demonstrating disciplined adherence to its weather decision-process documentation",
    "The closure spanned both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, plus online classes, a comprehensive shutdown that recognized faculty and students could not safely travel to office hours or proctored exams even for online courses",
    "Winter Storm Fern produced the deadliest Texas winter storm since February 2021, killing at least seven people and disrupting flights, schools, and universities across the state"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Winter Weather - January 2026 (Texas State University Safety & Emergency Communications)",
      "url": "https://safety.txst.edu/updates/winter-weather-jan-2026.html",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Texas State cancels Monday classes amid winter weather (University Star)",
      "url": "https://universitystar.com/34256/news/texas-state-cancels-monday-classes-amid-winter-weather/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Due to winter weather conditions, TXST will be closed (Texas State University Facebook)",
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/txstateu/posts/due-to-winter-weather-conditions-txst-will-be-closed-on-monday-jan-26-2026-all-c/1299015698924990/",
      "type": "official-social"
    },
    {
      "title": "Texas State University cancels classes Jan. 26 due to weather (Community Impact)",
      "url": "https://communityimpact.com/austin/san-marcos-buda-kyle/education/2026/01/25/texas-state-university-cancels-classes-jan-26-due-to-weather/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Winter Storm January 23-26, 2026 (NWS Fort Worth)",
      "url": "https://www.weather.gov/fwd/january2026",
      "type": "government-report"
    },
    {
      "title": "@txst Monday winter closure (X)",
      "url": "https://x.com/txst/status/2015530745553355167",
      "type": "official-social"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "winter-storm",
    "winter-storm-fern",
    "texas",
    "campus-closure",
    "public-r1",
    "san-marcos",
    "round-rock",
    "arctic-blast"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-14",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}