Campus Alert Archive
SDSU

Three Days Snowbound in Brookings: SDSU Shuts Down for a Late-March Blizzard That Would Not Quit

SDwinter stormadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A major winter storm forced South Dakota State University in Brookings to close campus beginning at 7 a.m. on Sunday, March 23, 2024. The closure, originally planned through Monday night, was extended through noon on Tuesday, March 26, as the blizzard persisted. All administrative offices, classes, and events were canceled. Residence halls remained open with staffed desks, and essential employees reported as assigned under the university's continuity of operations plan.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
South Dakota State University
Public R1 · SD
~12,000 studentsEverbridgeSDSU Campus Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages 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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction288 chars
SDSU Alert: Due to a predicted winter storm, the SDSU campus in Brookings will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday, March 23 through Monday night. All administrative offices are closed, classes and events are canceled. Essential employees report as assigned. Residence halls remain open.

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

Reconstructed from Dakota News Now and KELO-TV coverage of the closure announcement
The alert was issued proactively before the storm's worst conditions arrived, reflecting advance planning
Essential employees reporting under SDSU Policy 10:7 and the continuity of operations plan
Residence hall desks were staffed from 4-7 p.m. Sunday and Monday to support on-campus students
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction236 chars
SDSU Alert Update: Due to the continued winter storm, the SDSU campus in Brookings will remain closed until noon on Tuesday, March 26. All administrative offices, events, and classes are closed until noon. Check sdstate.edu for updates.

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

Reconstructed from Dakota News Now reporting on the closure extension
The original closure was through Monday night; this extension added an additional half-day
The storm's persistence required the university to extend the closure twice
Context

Background

South Dakota State University's Brookings campus sits in the eastern part of the state, where late-season blizzards are not uncommon but can still be severe. The March 2024 storm brought heavy snow and dangerous wind conditions to the region, prompting a multi-day campus closure that is notable for its duration. SDSU's proactive approach, announcing the closure before conditions deteriorated, reflects the university's experience with severe winter weather. The Everbridge-powered Campus Alert System delivered notifications via email and SMS to the campus community. Under SDSU Policy 10:7, essential employees were required to report as assigned, while residence halls remained open with staffed desks to support the approximately 4,000 students living on campus. The closure's extension from two days to nearly three illustrated the unpredictable nature of Great Plains winter storms, even in late March. SDSU's emergency management office emphasizes that outdoor warning sirens are only meant for those outdoors, making the Everbridge notification system the primary channel for keeping students informed during weather events.
Analysis

Key Findings

SDSU closed proactively before the storm's worst conditions, demonstrating an advance-warning approach to weather emergencies
The closure was extended twice, from an initial Sunday-Monday plan to a Tuesday noon reopening, illustrating the challenge of predicting storm duration
Residence halls remained open and staffed throughout, ensuring on-campus students had shelter and support
Late-March blizzards in the northern Great Plains represent a recurring campus safety challenge that is underrepresented in campus alert archives
Outcome
No injuries reported. Campus closed for approximately three days. Reopened at noon on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Residence halls remained open and staffed throughout the closure.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    SDSU campus closed Sunday and Monday due to weather (Dakota News Now)
    dakotanewsnow.com
  2. News
    The SDSU campus closed Sunday/Monday due to weather (KELO-TV)
    keloland.com
  3. Official
    SDSU Emergency Management, University Status (South Dakota State University)
    sdstate.edu
Tags
winter-stormblizzardcampus-closuresouth-dakotaweathermulti-day-closuregreat-plainsproactive-closureresidence-halls
Added April 2026Updated April 2026Via ingestion