Campus Alert Archive
TXST

Round Rock to San Marcos Shut: TXST Closes Both Campuses for Winter Storm Fern's Hard Freeze and Ice

TXwinter stormadvisorymedium confidence

On January 26, 2026, Texas State University closed both its San Marcos and Round Rock campuses due to Winter Storm Fern, a powerful arctic blast that brought freezing rain, sleet, and a hard freeze to Central Texas. All in-person and online classes were canceled and all university events were called off. The university announced the closure by 6 p.m. Sunday, January 25, via TXSTATE Alert text messages and email.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Texas State University
Public R1 · TX
~40,000 studentsTXSTATE 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 reconstruction252 chars
TXSTATE Alert: Due to winter weather conditions, TXST will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. All classes on the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses and online classes are canceled. All university events are canceled. Visit safety.txst.edu for updates.

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

Reconstructed to match the wording used on the Texas State Safety & Emergency Communications page and the verified university Facebook post issued Sunday evening
TXSTATE Alert is the university's RAVE-based notification system; closure announcements typically pair an SMS message with an email and a website update
The 6 p.m. Sunday timing matches the university's stated decision deadline for next-day closures
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction350 chars
TXSTATE Alert: Texas State University continues to monitor conditions and respond as needed to support the campus community. All facilities and offices will open at regular hours and classes will be held as scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. If you have questions or need assistance, contact Emergency Management at emergencymanagement@txstate.edu.

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

Reconstructed to match the formal wording used by the university's emergency management office
The Tuesday reopening was announced Monday afternoon after road conditions improved
Texas State's Round Rock campus typically experiences more severe ice conditions than San Marcos due to its higher elevation
Context

Background

Late January 2026 brought a classic shallow-cold-air event to Texas as Winter Storm Fern, an arctic outbreak that undercut subtropical air, produced freezing rain, sleet, and snow across Central Texas and the I-35 corridor. Texas State University, with about 40,000 students across its San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, announced its closure for Monday, January 26 by Sunday evening, January 25 — falling within the university's stated 6 p.m. Sunday decision deadline. The closure aligned TXST with UT Austin, the University of Houston, Lone Star College System, and East Texas Baptist University, all of which shut their campuses for the storm. The storm killed at least seven people across Texas, including five children, and produced more than 5,800 flight cancellations in the region between January 23 and 28. Texas State reopened Tuesday, January 27 without further weather disruption.
Analysis

Key Findings

Texas State's Sunday-evening closure announcement matched the university's published 6 p.m. decision deadline, demonstrating disciplined adherence to its weather decision-process documentation
The closure spanned both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, plus online classes — a comprehensive shutdown that recognized faculty and students could not safely travel to office hours or proctored exams even for online courses
Winter Storm Fern produced the deadliest Texas winter storm since February 2021, killing at least seven people and disrupting flights, schools, and universities across the state
Outcome
Texas State University reopened at regular hours Tuesday, January 27, 2026, with all classes held as scheduled. No injuries reported on either campus. The closure was part of a regional pattern that also shuttered UT Austin, University of Houston, Lone Star College System, and most Central Texas school districts.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Winter Weather - January 2026 (Texas State University Safety & Emergency Communications)
    safety.txst.edu
  2. Student Paper
    Texas State cancels Monday classes amid winter weather (University Star)
    universitystar.com
  3. Social
    Due to winter weather conditions, TXST will be closed (Texas State University Facebook)
    facebook.com
  4. News
    Texas State University cancels classes Jan. 26 due to weather (Community Impact)
    communityimpact.com
  5. government report
    Winter Storm January 23-26, 2026 (NWS Fort Worth)
    weather.gov
Tags
winter-stormwinter-storm-ferntexascampus-closurepublic-r1san-marcosround-rockarctic-blast
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion