Georgetown

Five Days of Snow, Sleet and Bitter Cold Push Georgetown Online

Saturday, January 25, 2025DCwinter stormemergency notificationmedium confidence

A major late-January 2025 winter storm dropped between 5 and 11 inches of snow on Washington, D.C. starting January 25, followed by freezing rain, sleet and an extreme cold warning through January 28. Georgetown University closed its campuses with instructional continuity from January 25 to January 29, suspended GUTS shuttle service, and closed non-essential facilities including Yates Field House.

Alerts: 1
Response: —
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Georgetown University

Private R1 · DC

HOYAlert

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message 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 ALERTEmailMorning of January 25, 2025, as snow began

Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from The Hoya coverage306 chars

HOYAlert: Due to the winter storm, Georgetown is moving to instructional continuity beginning today, January 25, through January 29. Classes will be held virtually. GUTS bus service is suspended and non-essential facilities, including Yates Field House, are closed. Essential personnel report as scheduled.

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

Reconstructed from The Hoya's reporting; the January 25-29 instructional-continuity window, GUTS suspension and Yates Field House closure are all confirmed details, but the exact HOYAlert wording was not recovered.

The five-day span reflects not the snowfall itself but the persistent extreme cold and refreeze that kept D.C. sidewalks hazardous well after the storm passed.

Context

Background

Georgetown University sits on bluffs above the Potomac in northwest Washington, D.C., where steep streets and brick sidewalks become treacherous in ice. A powerful winter storm arriving January 25, 2025 dropped 5 to 11 inches of snow on the District before transitioning to freezing rain and sleet, with the National Weather Service extending an extreme cold warning through January 28. Georgetown shifted to instructional continuity from January 25 through January 29, suspended its GUTS shuttle service, reduced dining operations and closed non-essential facilities including Yates Field House. The same storm system prompted the District government to act, with Mayor Muriel Bowser declaring a snow emergency in a winter that would see D.C. endure one of its iciest stretches in decades. The unusually long campus disruption was driven less by snow depth than by sub-freezing temperatures that prevented melting for days.

Analysis

Key Findings

Georgetown ran five consecutive days of instructional continuity (Jan 25-29, 2025), an unusually long disruption driven by persistent extreme cold rather than snow depth alone

The university bundled academic, transportation and facilities decisions into one window: virtual classes, suspended GUTS service and closed non-essential buildings including Yates Field House

D.C.'s steep terrain and the extreme cold warning through January 28 kept refreeze hazards in place long after the 5-11 inch snowfall ended

Outcome

Georgetown operated under instructional continuity (online classes) and reduced services from January 25 to January 29, 2025, then resumed normal operations. The National Weather Service issued a severe storm warning for January 25-26 and an extreme cold warning through January 28.

Provenance

Sources

Student Paper
GU Moves Classes Online Following Winter Storm, Students Enjoy Snow Day - The Hoya
thehoya.com
national media
Why the winter storm in D.C. was so exceptional - The Washington Post
washingtonpost.com

Alert Sequence

Background

Key Findings

Sources

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