Harvard

College and FAS classes remote for blizzard and state of emergency

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked

Sunday, February 22, 2026MAwinter stormemergency notificationhigh confidence

When Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a statewide state of emergency ahead of the historic February 22-24, 2026 blizzard, Harvard moved most of its schools to online classes for Monday, February 23. Harvard College and the Kennedy, Law, Divinity, Design, Public Health and Extension schools held classes online, a sharp reversal from the previous month, when Harvard had drawn student criticism for keeping College classes in person during a 23-inch storm.

Alerts: 3
Response: —
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Harvard University

Private R1 · MA

All Harvard cases →

MessageMe / Harvard Alerts

Official alert policy

Read when and how Harvard says it will use MessageMe: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.

Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 2 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.

Some messages in this sequence are documented (their existence, timing, and channel are sourced) but their exact wording is not preserved in the public record. Those entries appear as placeholders; only confirmed text is displayed.

INITIAL ALERTEmailFebruary 22, 2026 FAS operational email for Monday, February 23 remote operations

Verified verbatim3003 chars

Dear colleagues, Following the earlier message from the University and in light of the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency due to extreme weather conditions, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) will move to fully remote operations tomorrow, Monday, February 23. No Harvard College or FAS-based Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) classes will be held in person. Faculty should instead plan to either teach remotely, reschedule their class, or make alternative arrangements to cover course material. Faculty should communicate directly with students regarding their plans and expectations. Graduate students should check in with their respective programs regarding closures and schedules. Course heads should guide instructional support staff, including TFs, TAs, and CAs on expectations for sections and labs. For information about the Division of Continuing Education (DCE), please visit their website. All non-essential employees should not report to campus and should work remotely if they can do so effectively. If their work cannot be performed remotely, they may take an excused absence pursuant to the Inclement Weather Policy. FAS staff members who need to significantly alter their schedules due to conditions in their local area or due to other personal circumstances (such as dependent care needs) should be in contact with their supervisors. In such circumstances, staff members who are unable to work remotely should enter personal or vacation time in PeopleSoft. Additional guidance can be found on the FAS HR website. Essential employees should report to work as scheduled unless their supervisor or department leadership instructs otherwise. Essential personnel who find themselves in a specific circumstance that would make travel unsafe must contact their supervisor as soon as possible to obtain approval to be absent. Additional details and specific guidance are outlined below. - Residential dining services will proceed as normal. - The Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a limited dining menu. - Please monitor the Harvard Library and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture websites for updates about hours and closures. - Please be advised that the City of Cambridge parking ban began at 9:00 a.m. earlier today. Harvard garages are open to the local community for parking. Shuttle service will be adjusted during the storm and may be suspended during periods when snow accumulation eclipses 1–2 inches per hour or winds exceed 30–40 mph. Please refer to the live shuttle tracker for estimated arrival times and use caution when navigating snowy conditions. The safety of our students, faculty, researchers, and staff remains our top priority. Please continue to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates. Thank you for your flexibility, and please stay safe and warm. Sincerely, Mary Ann Bradley Interim Dean for Administration and Finance Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Verify this quote

FAS Winter Weather Update February 23, 2026 (Mary Ann Bradley email)fas.harvard.edu find archived copies

Official FAS winter-weather email recovered from fas.harvard.edu; earlier Crimson reconstruction is superseded.

The reversal is notable: a month earlier Harvard kept College classes in person during a 23-inch storm and was criticized; this time a state of emergency and 18-25 inch forecast pushed nearly all schools online.

GROWTH NIGHT flip 2026-09-21. Official FAS email. Live curl 403 Akamai. Dual-blind open_page + r.jina wording-equal after NBSP collapse. Product Dear colleagues through Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Curly apostrophe and en-dashes preserved. Not a MessageMe EN.

FOLLOW-UPEmailSunday evening, February 22, 2026

Wording not yet recovered

A message was sent at this point in the sequence; its exact wording has not yet been recovered from the official record, so no text is shown. This site never paraphrases or reconstructs alert wording. Markers like this one keep the emergency's true shape and become word-for-word messages as recovery reaches the source.

Reconstructed from The Harvard Crimson

UPDATEEmailFebruary 22, 2026 HLS operational email for Monday remote operations

Verified verbatim3168 chars

February 22, 2026 Dear Members of the HLS Community, In conjunction with Harvard University officials, Harvard Law School has been closely monitoring major snowstorm that is expected to arrive in the Greater Boston area this evening and continue throughout the day tomorrow. As Harvard’s Executive Vice President, Meredith Weenick, noted in her message earlier this afternoon, a blizzard warning has been issued for all of Massachusetts, with an estimated 18 to 24 inches of snow expected in greater Boston, with heavy rates of snowfall and high winds. Although accurate forecasts in these conditions are challenging, the Monday morning and evening commutes throughout the region will likely be significantly affected, and Governor Maura Healey has urged that the public stay off the roads during the snowstorm period. To support the safety of our community, Harvard Law School will be shifting to remote operations on Monday. Accordingly, please note the following important changes in our operations tomorrow: - Classes scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) will be shifted to Zoom, although some faculty may instead choose to schedule a makeup class during the Law School’s makeup teaching block. Deans Claypoole, Burns, and Plunkett will be following up shortly with additional information for instructors and students should be on the lookout for follow-on communications directly from their instructors. - Managers will be in touch with essential on-campus staff regarding their work schedules. - Nonessential staff should plan to work remotely if they are able to do so or they should refer to the Inclement Weather Policy to take an excused absence if their work cannot be performed remotely. If they cannot work remotely due to other circumstances, they should contact their managers about taking paid time off (vacation or personal day). - Clinical instructors are encouraged to contact their students to provide direction on clinical supervision, court appearances, client meetings, or other clinical practice engagement tomorrow. - Event organizers should shift to a remote format or reschedule their events for an alternate day. - Although Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) will significantly curtail their operations at HLS tomorrow, some food services will be maintained to support residents of HLS housing and essential staff who will be on campus. Only the Harkness Dining Room will be open for breakfast and lunch tomorrow from 7:30 am – 2:30 pm. No HUDS outlets will be open for dinner. Please plan accordingly. - ITS will be available to provide remote technical support and will be reachable via phone (617-495-0722) or through the ServiceNow platform. The on-campus ITS service desk will be closed tomorrow. - HLS Library Services will be closed on Monday; however, law students will have access to the Langdell Library’s 2nd floor for studying. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we shift to and implement remote operations tomorrow. Please watch for any additional communications from HLS and the University and stay safe during the storm! Best, Tracee L. Tracee Whitley Dean for Administration Harvard Law School

Verify this quote

HLS Winter Weather Update February 22, 2026 (L. Tracee Whitley email)hls.harvard.edu find archived copies

GROWTH NIGHT extra 2026-09-21. Official HLS email. Dual-curl HTTP 200 HTML 603488 bytes identical sha256 a0f85fe7cebd2c8b79d9635ed5586c4825930f35b29476866a39da3012d45fa7. Flattened wording EQUAL to packaged extract. Same blizzard as FAS seq 1, not a distinct incident. Existing reconstructed HBS seq 2 remains unconfirmed.

Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, SuperGrok Heavy 4.5 (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.

Sourcepresent25/25
Final assessment
All 25 reads find S present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming the issuing authority.
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
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming the issuing authority.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, identifying the sender.
present: Signed by Mary Ann Bradley as Interim Dean for Administration and Finance of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming the issuing authority.
present: The sign-off identifies Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the sender.
present: The closing signature names Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, so the sender is identified.
present: The message is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming the issuing authority.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
present: The closing identifies Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the sender.
present: The closing identifies Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the sender.
present: The closing identifies Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the sender, and the body names the University.
present: Signed by Mary Ann Bradley as Interim Dean for Administration and Finance of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming Harvard as the issuing unit.
present: The closing names Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the issuing authority.
present: Signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which names the sending authority.
present: The close identifies the sender as Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
present: The closing signature names Mary Ann Bradley as Interim Dean for Administration and Finance of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, identifying the sender.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, identifying the sender.
present: The email identifies the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as issuer and is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming the issuing authority.
present: Mary Ann Bradley signs as Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, identifying the sender.
present: Signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which names the Harvard issuing authority.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, naming the sender.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley as Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, identifying the sender.
present: The email is signed by Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, so Harvard FAS is the sender.
present: The closing signature names Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, identifying the issuing authority.
present: The closing identifies Mary Ann Bradley, Interim Dean for Administration and Finance, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the sender.
Hazardpresent25/25
Final assessment
All 25 reads find H present: It names extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow accumulation, and winds as the specific threat.
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
present: It names extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow accumulation, and winds as the specific threat.
present: It names extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow accumulation, high winds, and snowy conditions rather than a generic incident.
present: The threat is named as extreme weather, a storm with snow accumulation, high winds, and snowy conditions, not a generic incident.
present: It names a specific threat: extreme weather conditions, a storm with snow accumulation, and snowy conditions.
present: It names extreme weather, the storm, snow accumulation, and snowy conditions, a specific winter-weather threat rather than a generic incident.
present: It specifies "extreme weather conditions", a "storm" with snow, and inclement weather, not a generic incident or emergency alone.
present: It names extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow, and high winds as the threat, not a generic incident.
present: It names extreme weather conditions and the storm, including snow accumulation, high winds, and snowy conditions, as the threat.
present: The text names extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow accumulation, and snowy conditions as the specific threat.
present: The text names extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow, and high winds, a specific threat rather than a generic incident or situation.
present: The threat is named as extreme weather, a storm, snow, and winds over 30 to 40 mph, not a generic incident.
present: The text names extreme weather, a storm with snow accumulation, and high winds, a specific weather threat rather than a generic emergency.
present: It specifies extreme weather, the storm, snow accumulation, and high winds rather than a generic incident or emergency.
present: The threat is named as extreme weather and a storm, including snow accumulation, snowy conditions, and high winds.
present: The text specifies extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow accumulation, snowy conditions, and high winds rather than a generic incident.
present: It specifies extreme weather conditions, the storm, snow accumulation, and high winds rather than a generic incident.
present: It names the threat as extreme weather, a storm with snow accumulation, high winds, and snowy conditions.
present: It names extreme weather and a storm with snow and high winds, a specific threat rather than a generic emergency.
present: The threat is named as extreme weather and a storm, including snow accumulation, high winds, and snowy conditions.
present: The threat is named as extreme weather conditions, a storm with snow accumulation and high winds, and inclement weather.
present: It names extreme weather, a storm with snow accumulation and high winds, a specific weather threat rather than a generic incident.
present: It names extreme weather conditions and a storm with snow accumulation, high winds, and snowy conditions as the specific threat.
present: It names the threat as extreme weather conditions, a storm with snow accumulation and snowy conditions, not a generic incident.
present: The text names "extreme weather conditions", "the storm", snow accumulation, and high winds, a specific weather threat rather than a generic incident.
present: The threat is named as extreme weather and the storm, with snow accumulation, snowy conditions, and high winds.
Locationpresent25/25
Final assessment
All 25 reads find L present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard College, the City of Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the Student Center.
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
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard College, the City of Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the Student Center.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard College, the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and Cambridge.
present: It places operations on campus and names Harvard College, the City of Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the GSAS Student Center.
present: It places the change on campus, at Harvard College and FAS, the GSAS Student Center, Cambridge, and Harvard garages.
present: It places the response on campus and at named Harvard sites, including the Student Center, Library, museums, garages, and the City of Cambridge.
present: It directs people not to report "to campus" and names Harvard College, FAS, GSAS, Cambridge, and Harvard garages.
present: It refers to campus, Harvard College, the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and the City of Cambridge.
present: It tells non-essential employees not to report to campus and names Harvard College, FAS, Cambridge, and Harvard garages.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard College, Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the GSAS Student Center.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard College, the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and the City of Cambridge.
present: It places the change on campus and names Harvard College, the City of Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the GSAS Student Center.
present: It locates the change on campus at Harvard FAS, Harvard College, the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and the City of Cambridge.
present: It places the change on campus and names Harvard College, the Student Center, Harvard garages, and the City of Cambridge.
present: Location is given as campus, the City of Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS.
present: Recipients are told not to report to campus, with named places including Harvard College, the Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS, the City of Cambridge, and Harvard garages.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names FAS, Harvard College, the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and Cambridge.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS.
present: It tells people not to report to campus and names the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and the City of Cambridge.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard sites, the City of Cambridge, and Harvard garages.
present: It places the change on campus and names Harvard College, FAS, the GSAS Student Center, Harvard garages, and Cambridge.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Cambridge, Harvard garages, the GSAS Student Center, and other Harvard sites.
present: It places the change on campus, including Harvard College, FAS, GSAS, Cambridge, and Harvard garages.
present: It tells staff not to report to campus and names Harvard places such as the Student Center, Harvard Library, Harvard garages, and Cambridge.
present: Recipients are told not to report to "campus", and the note also names Harvard College, Cambridge, Harvard garages, and the Student Center.
present: It refers to campus, Harvard College, FAS, the City of Cambridge, the Student Center, and Harvard garages.
Guidancepresent25/25
Final assessment
All 25 reads find G present: Non-essential employees should not report to campus, and recipients are told to use caution in snowy conditions and monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
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
present: Non-essential employees should not report to campus, and recipients are told to use caution in snowy conditions and monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: It instructs nonessential employees not to report to campus and to work remotely, and tells readers to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential employees should not report to campus and should work remotely, and readers should monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential employees "should not report to campus and should work remotely", and readers are told to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers should use caution and monitor updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, to use caution in snowy conditions, and to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor updates.
present: Nonessential staff are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor updates.
present: Recipients are told not to report to campus, work or teach remotely, use caution in snow, and monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Nonessential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, to use caution in snowy conditions, and to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and all are told to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Nonessential employees should not report to campus, and readers are told to use caution in snowy conditions and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: It instructs non-essential employees not to report to campus and to work remotely, and tells readers to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential employees should not report to campus and should work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor updates.
present: Non-essential employees should not report to campus and should work remotely, and readers must monitor harvard.edu/emergency and use caution in snow.
present: Nonessential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to use caution and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential employees are instructed not to report to campus and to work remotely, and readers are told to monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential employees are told not to report to campus and to work remotely, to use caution in snow, and to monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
present: Non-essential employees "should not report to campus and should work remotely", and people are told to use caution in snowy conditions and monitor harvard.edu/emergency.
present: Non-essential staff are told not to report to campus, work remotely, use caution in snowy conditions, and monitor harvard.edu/emergency for updates.
Timepresent25/25
Final assessment
All 25 reads find T present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, with clock times such as 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, with clock times such as 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: It gives tomorrow, Monday, February 23, the 9:00 a.m. parking ban earlier today, and Student Center hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: It dates remote operations to tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and gives clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations start tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and clock times include 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: It sets remote operations for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and gives clock times such as 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: Fully remote operations begin "tomorrow, Monday, February 23", and the text also gives "9:00 a.m. earlier today".
present: It dates remote operations to tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and gives clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and the Cambridge parking ban began at 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and it gives clock times such as 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations begin tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and the text gives clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: It dates the shift as tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and gives 9:00 a.m. today plus 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours.
present: Remote operations begin tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and clock times appear such as 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: It states tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and a Cambridge parking ban began at 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, with clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today and Student Center hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: It sets remote operations for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and gives clock times such as 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations begin tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and the Cambridge parking ban began at 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: Remote operations start tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and clock times include 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, and the parking ban is timed at 9:00 a.m. earlier today.
present: It states tomorrow, Monday, February 23, a 9:00 a.m. parking ban earlier today, and Student Center hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: It gives the date tomorrow, Monday, February 23, plus clock times and the phrase earlier today.
present: It specifies tomorrow, Monday, February 23, Student Center hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a 9:00 a.m. parking ban earlier today.
present: Remote operations are set for tomorrow, Monday, February 23, with clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
present: Remote operations begin "tomorrow, Monday, February 23", the Cambridge parking ban started at "9:00 a.m. earlier today", and Student Center hours are listed.
present: It states tomorrow, Monday, February 23, plus clock times including 9:00 a.m. earlier today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Impactpresent22/25
Final assessment
A 22 to 3 majority finds I present: A Governor's state of emergency and language that travel can be unsafe convey severity and harm beyond naming the weather. 3 reads mark it absent.
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
present: A Governor's state of emergency and language that travel can be unsafe convey severity and harm beyond naming the weather.
present: A Governor state of emergency, travel that can be unsafe, and caution in snowy conditions convey the weather's severity and possible harm.
present: A declared state of emergency signals severity, and the text says travel can be unsafe and to use caution in snowy conditions.
absent: It never states what the weather could do to people or property, only remote operations, a state of emergency, and a travel-unsafe leave rule.
present: A Governor's state of emergency, travel that can be unsafe, heavy snow and high winds, and please stay safe convey severity and possible harm.
present: A Governor "state of emergency" plus language that travel can be "unsafe" conveys storm severity and harm to people.
present: A Governor state of emergency plus language that travel can be unsafe conveys severity and potential harm.
present: The Governor's declaration of a state of emergency and language that travel can be unsafe convey severity and potential harm.
present: A Governor state of emergency conveys severity, travel can be unsafe, and readers are told to use caution and stay safe.
present: A Governor's state of emergency and wording that travel can be unsafe convey the weather's severity and potential harm to people.
present: A Governor state of emergency, travel called unsafe, and a caution about snowy conditions state severity and possible harm.
present: The Governor declaration of a state of emergency and the note that travel can be unsafe convey severity and harm risk.
absent: The Governor's emergency declaration and a conditional travel-unsafe leave clause do not state harm the storm could cause to people or property.
present: A Governor state of emergency, travel that would be unsafe, and instructions to stay safe and use caution convey severity and possible harm.
present: A Governor state of emergency, travel that may be unsafe, and the stay safe and warm close convey the storm seriousness and possible harm.
present: The Governor's state of emergency and language that travel can be unsafe convey the weather's severity and possible harm.
present: A Governor state of emergency and travel that would be unsafe convey the weather's severity and potential harm.
present: The declared state of emergency and language that travel can be unsafe convey the weather severity and potential harm to people.
present: A Governor state of emergency, travel called unsafe, and the close stay safe and warm convey severity and possible harm.
present: The Governor's state of emergency, possible unsafe travel, and the close stay safe and warm convey how serious the weather is and what it could do.
present: It cites the Governor declaration of a state of emergency and says travel can be unsafe, conveying severity and harm.
present: A declared state of emergency and the note that travel can be unsafe convey the storm severity and possible harm.
present: A Governor's state of emergency and language that travel can be unsafe convey severity and potential harm beyond naming the weather.
present: A Governor's "state of emergency" plus "travel unsafe" and a caution about snowy conditions convey the weather's severity and possible harm.
absent: No stated consequence or severity such as dangerous or risk of injury; unsafe travel is only a conditional staff exception.

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

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

About this analysis

Context

Background

Harvard's response to the February 2026 North American blizzard was shaped by the backlash to its decision a month earlier. In late January 2026, Harvard had kept College classes in person during a 23-inch storm, drawing student complaints that it was 'the wrong call.' When Governor Maura Healey declared a statewide state of emergency ahead of the February blizzard, with forecasts of 18-25 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 75 mph in Cambridge, Harvard moved most schools online for Monday, February 23, including Harvard College and the Kennedy, Law, Divinity, Design, Public Health and Extension schools. Harvard Business School was the notable exception, holding in-person classes while sending non-essential staff remote. The episode illustrates how a prior controversy and an official state-of-emergency declaration can shift an institution's weather posture from in-person to remote within weeks.

Analysis

Key Findings

Harvard moved most schools online for Monday, February 23, 2026 after Massachusetts declared a statewide state of emergency for the historic blizzard

The decision reversed Harvard's controversial late-January 2026 choice to keep College classes in person during a 23-inch storm

Harvard Business School remained the outlier with in-person classes while sending non-essential staff remote, showing decentralized faculty-level weather decisions

Outcome

Most Harvard schools moved Monday, February 23, 2026 classes online amid forecasts of 18-25 inches of snow and 75 mph wind gusts; Harvard Business School held in-person classes but sent non-essential staff remote. Normal operations resumed afterward.

Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

Student Paper
Most Harvard Schools to Move Classes Online Following Massachusetts State of Emergency - The Harvard Crimson
thecrimson.com
archived copy
Student Paper
'It's the Wrong Call': Students React to College's Decision to Hold In-Person Classes During Snowstorm - The Harvard Crimson
thecrimson.com
archived copy
Reference
February 2026 North American blizzard - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
archived copy
Official
Winter Weather Update: February 23, 2026 (Harvard FAS)
fas.harvard.edu
archived copy
Official
February 22 Winter Weather Update (Harvard Law School)
hls.harvard.edu
archived copy

Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Harvard University: College and FAS classes remote for blizzard and state of emergency." Incident of February 22, 2026. Added May 2026; last updated September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/harvard-university-blizzard-remote-2026-02-22/

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