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Tulane

Rare blizzard with about 10 inches of snow closed campus; operations moved to remote

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked
LAwinter stormadvisoryhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

On January 17, 2025, Tulane University announced that it would shift to remote operations and physically close on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 due to the historic Gulf Coast blizzard (informally Winter Storm Enzo). New Orleans recorded approximately 10 inches of snowfall (among the highest totals in city history) and conditions were severe enough that Tulane extended remote operations into Wednesday, January 22. Classes transitioned to an online format and only essential personnel reported to campus.

Alerts
6
Response
Killed
Injured
Institution
Tulane University
Private R1 · LA
All Tulane cases →
~14,000 studentsTU Alerts
Official alert policy
Read when and how Tulane says it will use TU Alert (Everbridge): summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

6 messages in sequence · 6 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatim2578 chars
Dear Tulane Community, We continue to closely monitor the impacts of the winter weather in our region. Due to the expected continual impacts of this weather and deteriorated road conditions, the university will continue operating remotely and will remain physically closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, except for essential personnel. This decision was made considering the effects of snow and ice on the greater New Orleans area and the continued closure of schools and other services in the region. Employees within the School of Medicine and the Tulane National Primate Research Center will receive direct communication from their leadership regarding any changes to their operations. The university plans to resume on-site classes, work, and normal operations on Thursday, Jan. 23. Academic schedule Classes scheduled for Wednesday should proceed in an online format. Faculty are encouraged to hold classes at their regularly scheduled times online, if possible. If conducting an online class is not feasible, alternative arrangements should be made to recover the lost class time. One available option is to use the Spring 2025 Designated Make-up Day Two, scheduled for Sunday, March 16. This would allow faculty to hold Wednesday’s classes at their regular times and campus locations on that day. Faculty should communicate their plans for Wednesday’s classes with their students as soon as possible. Essential employees Essential personnel, including employees providing patient care in clinics or hospitals, engineers managing buildings, security personnel, vivarium staff managing animals, technicians performing experiments, pharmacy employees, occupational medicine, and other staff will be required to report to campus as scheduled while non-essential staff should work remotely. Please coordinate with your managers directly. Additional details For information on dining services available today and tomorrow, please visit the Tulane Hospitality website. The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is closed today but will open in limited capacity tomorrow. Additionally, please refer to the university’s previous communications regarding weather impacts, preparations, and operational adjustments. Please continue to monitor your email for any updates from the Office of Emergency Preparedness & Response. Thank you for your patience as we navigate the challenges of this winter storm. Sincerely, Michael A. Fitts, President Robin Forman, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Patrick Norton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
The phrase 'continue to maintain remote operations' signals a closure extension rather than a fresh new closure, a subtle but important framing that helps the community understand the storm's prolonged impact
Tulane Medical Center reported delivering at least three 'blizzard babies' during the closure, illustrating that for academic medical centers, 'closure' never includes essential clinical operations
INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatim279 chars
Due to forecasted winter weather, Tulane will shift to remote operations and will be physically closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21, except for essential personnel. Classes scheduled for Tuesday will transition to an online format. Read the full announcement: http://tulane.edu/emergency
The post was published on the official @Tulane Twitter/X account at 7:48 PM CST on January 17, 2025 (time decoded from the X status ID), a pre-storm advisory issued ahead of Winter Storm Enzo's arrival on January 21, 2025
The phrasing 'shift to remote operations and will be physically closed' is a hedged form of 'closure' that allows continuity of academic and research activities while clearing campus of non-essential personnel
The reference to 'essential personnel' as an exception encompasses Tulane's medical center staff, clinic providers, and research-vivarium operations; Tulane has both an academic and a major medical complex
Corrected to exact fxtwitter display text.
Verified complete alert text on https://x.com/Tulane/status/1880432067005087974; archiveUrl null.
UPDATETwitter/X+3d
Verified verbatim273 chars
Tulane will continue to maintain remote operations and will be physically closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22, except for essential personnel. Classes scheduled for Wednesday will transition to an online format. Please read the full announcement here: http://tulane.edu/emergency
Verified complete alert text on https://x.com/Tulane/status/1881760057194414439; archiveUrl null.
Official same-day cascade from @Tulane.
INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X+4d
Verified verbatim133 chars
Sidewalks, streets, exterior stairs, and other outdoor surfaces are icy. Tulanians: please take extra care as you move around campus.
Verified complete alert text on https://x.com/Tulane/status/1882110237366161463; archiveUrl null.
Official same-day cascade from @Tulane.
UPDATETwitter/X+4d
Verified verbatim272 chars
Tulane will continue to maintain remote operations and will be physically closed on Thursday, Jan. 23, except for essential personnel. Classes scheduled for Thursday will transition to an online format. Please read the full announcement here: https://tulane.edu/emergency
Verified complete alert text on https://x.com/Tulane/status/1882163802495463827; archiveUrl null.
Official same-day cascade from @Tulane.
INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X+4d
Verified verbatim232 chars
TU Alert: Please do not cross any caution tape on campus. Be aware of melting snow and ice falling off buildings and trees as it has the potential to cause injury. Stay cautious while walking across campus. Your safety is important.
Verified complete alert text on https://x.com/Tulane/status/1882169361680757026; archiveUrl null.
Official same-day cascade from @Tulane.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Dear Tulane Community, We continue to closely monitor the impacts of the winter weather in our region. Due to the expected continual impacts of this weather and deteriorated road conditions, the university will continue operating remotely and will remain physically closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, except for essential personnel. This decision was made considering the effects of snow and ice on the greater New Orleans area and the continued closure of schools and other services in the region. Employees within the School of Medicine and the Tulane National Primate Research Center will receive direct communication from their leadership regarding any changes to their operations. The university plans to resume on-site classes, work, and normal operations on Thursday, Jan. 23. Academic schedule Classes scheduled for Wednesday should proceed in an online format. Faculty are encouraged to hold classes at their regularly scheduled times online, if possible. If conducting an online class is not feasible, alternative arrangements should be made to recover the lost class time. One available option is to use the Spring 2025 Designated Make-up Day Two, scheduled for Sunday, March 16. This would allow faculty to hold Wednesday’s classes at their regular times and campus locations on that day. Faculty should communicate their plans for Wednesday’s classes with their students as soon as possible. Essential employees Essential personnel, including employees providing patient care in clinics or hospitals, engineers managing buildings, security personnel, vivarium staff managing animals, technicians performing experiments, pharmacy employees, occupational medicine, and other staff will be required to report to campus as scheduled while non-essential staff should work remotely. Please coordinate with your managers directly. Additional details For information on dining services available today and tomorrow, please visit the Tulane Hospitality website. The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is closed today but will open in limited capacity tomorrow. Additionally, please refer to the university’s previous communications regarding weather impacts, preparations, and operational adjustments. Please continue to monitor your email for any updates from the Office of Emergency Preparedness & Response. Thank you for your patience as we navigate the challenges of this winter storm. Sincerely, Michael A. Fitts, President Robin Forman, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Patrick Norton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: signed by the Tulane president and senior officials, explicitly identifying the university as sender.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Signed by university president and officials; 'Dear Tulane Community' addresses as sender.
    2. present: Signed by Tulane president and senior VPs, university naming itself.
    3. present: Signed by university president and officials, from Tulane.
    4. present: Signed by Tulane president and senior officers.
    5. present: Signed by university president and officials, addressed from Tulane.
    6. present: Signed by university president and officials, identifies as Tulane communication.
    7. present: Signed by university president and senior officials, Tulane named.
    8. present: Signed by Tulane president and officials.
    9. present: Signed by university president and officers, from Tulane.
    10. present: Signed by Tulane president and senior officials, identifying the institution
    11. present: Signed by Tulane president and senior officials, university naming itself.
    12. present: Signed by Tulane president and officials, from Tulane.
    13. present: Signed by Tulane's president and senior officials, addressed to Tulane Community.
    14. present: Signed by named university officials (President Fitts et al.) representing Tulane.
    15. present: Signed by Tulane President and senior officials.
    16. present: Signed by university president and senior officers, identified as Tulane.
    17. present: Signed by university president and senior officials, names Tulane.
    18. present: Signed by university president and provost/COO.
    19. present: Signed by Tulane President and officials.
    20. present: Signed by university president and officers, addressed to Tulane Community
    21. present: Signed by University leadership (Fitts, Forman, Norton) and addressed from Tulane.
    22. present: Signed by Tulane president, provost, and COO, identifying the university leadership as sender.
    23. present: Signed by university president and senior leadership.
    24. present: Signed by university president and senior VPs, addressed to 'Tulane Community'.
    25. present: Signed by university president and officials, addressed to Tulane Community.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: names winter weather along with snow and ice as the specific hazard.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' named as hazard.
    2. present: 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' named specifically.
    3. present: 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' named as the hazard.
    4. present: References winter weather with snow and ice.
    5. present: Winter weather, snow and ice on roads named.
    6. present: 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' named as the hazard.
    7. present: 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' named as hazard.
    8. present: Winter weather, snow and ice conditions named.
    9. present: References winter weather, snow and ice on roads.
    10. present: Names "winter weather," "snow and ice" as the hazard
    11. present: Names 'winter weather', 'snow and ice'.
    12. present: Winter weather, snow and ice on roads.
    13. present: Names winter weather, snow and ice conditions.
    14. present: References 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' causing conditions.
    15. present: Winter weather, snow and ice on roads named.
    16. present: Names "winter weather," "snow and ice."
    17. present: References 'winter weather', 'snow and ice'.
    18. present: Winter weather, snow and ice named specifically.
    19. present: Winter weather, snow and ice, deteriorated road conditions.
    20. present: "winter weather," "snow and ice" specified
    21. present: Names 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' as the hazard causing closure.
    22. present: Names winter weather, snow and ice.
    23. present: References winter weather, snow and ice on roads.
    24. present: References 'winter weather', 'snow and ice' conditions.
    25. present: Winter weather, snow and ice on roads named.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: references the greater New Orleans area, the campus, and specific facilities like the library and School of Medicine.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'greater New Orleans area', university campus implied.
    2. present: References New Orleans area and campus buildings.
    3. present: 'greater New Orleans area', campus references.
    4. present: Greater New Orleans area and university campus.
    5. present: Greater New Orleans area, campus closures specified.
    6. present: 'greater New Orleans area', campus references.
    7. present: New Orleans area and university campus/buildings named.
    8. present: New Orleans area, campus references.
    9. present: References New Orleans area campus.
    10. present: References New Orleans area, campus, School of Medicine
    11. present: References New Orleans area and specific university buildings/facilities.
    12. present: New Orleans area, Tulane campus.
    13. present: References campus, New Orleans area, library.
    14. present: References New Orleans area and campus operations broadly.
    15. present: New Orleans area, campus closures specified.
    16. present: References the campus and "greater New Orleans area."
    17. present: References New Orleans area, campus, School of Medicine.
    18. present: New Orleans area, campus, School of Medicine referenced.
    19. present: New Orleans area/campus referenced.
    20. present: New Orleans area, campus references
    21. present: References the 'greater New Orleans area' and university campus.
    22. present: References New Orleans area campus and specific buildings like Howard-Tilton library.
    23. present: References New Orleans area and campus closures.
    24. present: Refers to 'greater New Orleans area' and campus closure.
    25. present: New Orleans area, campus references.
  • Guidancepresent23/25

    Final assessment

    Strong majority: instructs essential personnel to report to campus while others work remotely and hold classes online, a clear protective/operational instruction; a minority read this as purely descriptive, but the instruction is explicit.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely.
    2. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely.
    3. present: Tells non-essential staff to work remotely, essential staff to report.
    4. absent: Describes closures/remote operations but gives no direct protective instruction.
    5. present: Work remotely, essential personnel report, classes online.
    6. present: Instructs remote operation, essential personnel to report, others work remotely.
    7. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely.
    8. absent: Describes operational status, not personal protective action.
    9. present: Instructs to operate remotely, hold classes online.
    10. present: Tells essential personnel to report, others to work remotely
    11. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, non-essential to work remotely, classes online.
    12. present: University closed, essential personnel report, others work remotely.
    13. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely, classes online.
    14. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely, classes to go online.
    15. present: Instructs remote operations, essential personnel to report.
    16. present: Instructs essential personnel to report and others to work/hold classes remotely.
    17. present: Tells essential vs non-essential staff to report or work remotely, classes online.
    18. present: Instructs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely.
    19. present: Operate remotely, essential personnel report, others work remotely.
    20. present: Directs remote work, essential personnel to report
    21. present: Instructs essential personnel to report and non-essential to work remotely.
    22. present: Tells non-essential staff to work remotely, essential personnel to report.
    23. present: Directs essential personnel to report, others to work remotely.
    24. present: Instructs essential personnel to report and non-essential to work remotely.
    25. present: Work remotely, essential personnel report, monitor email.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: gives specific dates, Wednesday Jan. 22, 2025 for closure and Thursday Jan. 23 for reopening.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and 'Thursday, Jan. 23' given.
    2. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and 'Thursday, Jan. 23' given.
    3. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and 'Thursday, Jan. 23' given.
    4. present: Specifies Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 and Thursday, Jan. 23.
    5. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and resume Thursday Jan. 23.
    6. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and resume Thursday Jan. 23.
    7. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and other specific dates given.
    8. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' specified.
    9. present: Gives dates Jan. 22 and 23.
    10. present: Specifies Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 and Thursday, Jan. 23
    11. present: Gives specific date 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025'.
    12. present: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 specified.
    13. present: Specifies Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 and Thursday, Jan. 23.
    14. present: Specifies 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and resumption Thursday, Jan. 23.
    15. present: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 specified.
    16. present: Specifies "Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025" and resumption "Thursday, Jan. 23."
    17. present: Specifies 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and 'Thursday, Jan. 23'.
    18. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' and 'Thursday, Jan. 23' given.
    19. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' specified.
    20. present: "Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025" specified
    21. present: Specifies 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' for closure and Thursday for reopening.
    22. present: Specifies Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 and Thursday, Jan. 23.
    23. present: Specifies Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 and Thursday Jan 23 resumption.
    24. present: Specifies 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025'.
    25. present: 'Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025' specified.
  • Impactabsent12/25

    Final assessment

    Narrow majority: cites 'deteriorated road conditions' from snow and ice as the consequence; a substantial minority viewed this as closure logistics rather than a stated danger, but the phrase does name a concrete adverse condition.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No explicit statement of danger/harm beyond 'deteriorated road conditions'.
    2. present: References 'deteriorated road conditions' as consequence.
    3. absent: No stated danger/consequence beyond closures, just deteriorated road conditions descriptively.
    4. present: Cites deteriorated road conditions from snow and ice.
    5. present: 'deteriorated road conditions' implies hazard to travel safety.
    6. absent: No stated consequence beyond 'deteriorated road conditions', no injury/danger stated.
    7. present: 'deteriorated road conditions' implies danger to travel.
    8. absent: No explicit statement of danger or harm.
    9. present: Notes deteriorated road conditions from snow and ice.
    10. present: Cites deteriorated road conditions as reason for closure, implying danger
    11. absent: Describes closures but no stated danger or consequence of the weather itself.
    12. absent: No explicit statement of harm or danger, only closure logistics.
    13. absent: No explicit statement of danger or harm severity, only operational impacts.
    14. present: Cites 'deteriorated road conditions' from snow and ice as the consequence.
    15. absent: No stated harm beyond operational disruption, no danger described.
    16. present: Cites "deteriorated road conditions" from snow and ice as the reason for closure.
    17. present: Cites 'deteriorated road conditions' as reason for closure, implying danger.
    18. absent: No explicit statement of harm or danger beyond road conditions.
    19. absent: No explicit statement of danger beyond closures/road conditions.
    20. absent: No stated danger/harm beyond operational closure
    21. present: Cites 'deteriorated road conditions' as the consequence of the weather.
    22. absent: Describes closures but no stated danger or consequence of the weather itself.
    23. present: 'deteriorated road conditions' from snow and ice indicates danger to travel.
    24. absent: No statement of potential harm beyond road deterioration.
    25. present: 'deteriorated road conditions' implies danger from driving.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Tulane University is a private R1 doctoral institution in New Orleans, Louisiana, with about 14,000 students and a large academic medical center. Winter Storm Enzo (officially the 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard) was a rare and unusually strong winter storm that brought blizzard conditions to the U.S. Gulf Coast between January 20 and 22, 2025, a region that almost never sees significant snowfall. New Orleans recorded approximately 10 inches of snow, among the highest totals in city history, and Baton Rouge recorded a temperature of 7 degrees Fahrenheit, the lowest measured there in 95 years. On the evening of January 17, 2025, Tulane announced via its official X account that it would shift to remote operations and physically close on Tuesday, January 21, except for essential personnel. Classes transitioned to an online format. Tulane extended the closure into Wednesday, January 22 as conditions persisted. The Tulane School of Medicine reported that only essential personnel were required to report to provide patient care, manage labs and animal facilities, and maintain critical research. Tulane Medical Center successfully delivered 'blizzard babies' during the storm, illustrating the academic medical center's distinctive operational continuity even during severe-weather closures. Roads in Baton Rouge (home to LSU) remained closed Wednesday and Thursday, and LSU also canceled classes. Winter Storm Enzo killed at least five people regionally.
Analysis

Key Findings

Tulane's advance notice of more than three days (issued the evening of Jan. 17 for a Jan. 21 closure) is unusually long for a university weather closure announcement and reflects the rarity and forecast confidence for the Gulf Coast blizzard
The shift to 'remote operations' rather than full closure preserves academic continuity while clearing non-essential staff, a model that became more common after COVID-19 normalized synchronous online instruction
Tulane's academic medical center never fully closes; the 'essential personnel' designation specifically protected clinical operations during blizzard conditions previously unprecedented in southern Louisiana
The 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard was an unusual test for southern-state campus emergency planning: institutions like Tulane and LSU rarely face winter storms severe enough to require multi-day closures and had to adapt rapidly
Outcome
No injuries occurred at Tulane. The university shifted to remote operations and was physically closed on Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Classes were moved to an online format. Essential personnel including hospital and clinic staff, security, vivarium technicians, and pharmacy employees reported as scheduled. Tulane Medical Center reported successfully delivering 'blizzard babies' during the storm. The 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard caused at least 5 deaths regionally and brought the lowest temperatures recorded in southern Louisiana in 95 years.
Provenance

Sources

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  1. Social
  2. Official
  3. Official
  4. Source
  5. News
  6. Official
  7. Social
  8. official
  9. Social
  10. Social
  11. Social
  12. Social
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Tulane University: Rare blizzard with about 10 inches of snow closed campus; operations moved to remote." Incident of January 21, 2025. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/tulane-university-winter-storm-enzo-2025-01-21/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
winter-stormblizzardlouisianaprivate-r1tulaneremote-operationsgulf-coast-blizzardverbatimwinter-storm-enzo
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion