WMU closes early Jan. 27 because of severe weather

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Except for essential services, all WMU campuses will close at 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, Jan. 27, because of severe weather. Classes scheduled for 2 p.m. or later are canceled.

This article will be updated with special hours as information becomes available. Check the University events calendar to confirm whether an event is canceled. Those who have posted items to the calendar are expected to update the event post to indicate whether the activity will continue as planned, transition to a virtual format or be canceled.

Campus services

• Waldo Library and Zhang Legacy Collections Center will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
• The Sindecuse Health Center will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
• The Student Recreation Center will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday. All fitness classes, intramural sports, rentals and sports club practices are canceled. The SCC meeting for tonight at 8:30 p.m. will be held virtually. SCC members should check their email for the meeting link this afternoon.
• The WMU Student Center and the game room will operate during normal hours Tuesday, until 11 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., respectively. The bookstore will close at 3 p.m. Tuesday, and PNC will close at 5 p.m.
• The Valley Dining Center and Student Center Dining will remain open until 8 p.m. Tuesday, as per usual, but DASH Grab’n Go will close at 2 p.m., and Late-Night Carryout at Café 1903 will not open this evening. All Campus Cafés and the four retail operations on the first floor of the WMU Student Center (Mi Pi, Re-Fresh Market, Fuego Verde and Starbucks) will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
• West Hills Athletic Club is open Tuesday during regular hours.
• Metro will continue to run buses Tuesday as per usual but will advise of any service decreases as ridership slows down Tuesday afternoon.

Weather-related University closings since 1999

• 1999, Jan. 4-5—Heavy snowfall delayed the start of spring semester.
• 2000, Nov. 21-22—Thanksgiving recess began Tuesday because of snow.
• 2006, Dec. 1—An ice storm downed trees and caused power outages.
• 2007, Feb. 5—Extreme cold and snow closed many Michigan colleges.
• 2008, Feb. 1—WMU closed due to snow.
• 2009, Dec. 10—Blizzard conditions closed WMU.
• 2013, Jan. 31—Snow and icy conditions closed WMU.
• 2014, Jan. 6-7—Significant snowfall and expected severely cold temperatures prompted many Michigan colleges to close. The closure delayed the start of spring semester.
• 2014, Jan. 27—Snow and cold temperatures closed WMU.
• 2014, Nov. 18—Heavy snowfall closed WMU.
• 2015, Feb. 2—A widespread snowstorm closed WMU and many others schools around the state.
• 2016, Feb. 25—In an otherwise mild winter, a heavy snow accompanied by high winds closed WMU.
• 2018, Feb. 9—Severe winter weather prompted WMU to close at noon.
• 2019, Jan. 23—A mix of sleet, freezing rain and snow closed schools throughout the region.
• 2019, Jan. 28—A snowstorm covered the Kalamazoo area in several inches of snow and closed many schools throughout Michigan. The University closed campus at midday.
• 2019, Jan. 29—Severe weather prompted WMU to close at 5 p.m.
• 2019, Jan. 30-31—Snow and dangerously low temperatures due to wind chill prompted schools throughout the upper Midwest to close for two full days.
• 2019, Feb. 13—Freezing rain followed by heavy snow closed the University.
• 2022, Feb. 2—Rain turned to snow overnight, covering the Kalamazoo area in several inches of snow by midday.
• 2022, Nov. 18—A lake-effect snowstorm dropped more than a foot of snow, causing the University to close campus early.
• 2022, Dec. 22—Impending severe winter weather and blizzard warning cause the University to close early on the final day before winter recess.
• 2023, Feb. 22—An ice storm hit southern Michigan and caused an early closure for the University.
• 2023, Feb. 23—For the second day in a row, an ice storm and power outages prompted Western and schools to close.
• 2024, Jan. 12—A large winter storm and strong winds sweeping across West Michigan prompted the University to close early.
• 2024, Jan. 23—Freezing rain and icy conditions led the University to delay classes until 10 a.m.
• 2025, Jan. 21—Frigid temperatures and snow caused the University to close.
• 2025, Jan. 22—Severe freezing temperatures and snow closed all campuses for a second day.
• 2025, Feb. 12—WMU closed campus to evening classes for fast-falling heavy snow.
• 2026, Jan. 20—WMU closed all campuses and canceled all classes because of severe weather.
• 2026, Jan. 22—WMU closed all campuses and canceled all classes because of severe weather.
• 2026, Jan. 23—Severe wintry weather prompted WMU to close campuses for another day.
• 2026, Jan. 27—WMU closes early at 2 p.m. because of severe winter weather.

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