Campus Alert Archive
Tufts

January 2026 Nor'easter Forces Tufts Campuses Closed Sunday Night Through Monday; First Major Storm Closure of the Year

MAwinter stormadvisoryhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

A significant Nor'easter with heavy snow, high winds, and dangerously frigid temperatures prompted Tufts University to close all campuses in Medford/Somerville, Boston, and Grafton as of 12 p.m. on Sunday, January 25, 2026, extending through all day Monday, January 26. The closure canceled all classes and on-campus activities, though essential operations continued. This was the first major weather-related campus closure of the 2026 spring semester.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Tufts University
Private R1 · MA
TuftsAlert
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 ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction450 chars
All Tufts campuses (Medford/Somerville, Boston, and Grafton) will be closed as of 12 p.m. Sunday, January 25 and all day on Monday, January 26 due to the winter storm. Classes and other on-campus activities are canceled. Essential operations will continue as usual. Dining hours: Fresh at Carmichael and Dewick-MacPhie open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. All other dining locations closed. Buildings closed. Monitor TuftsAlert and announcements.tufts.edu for updates.

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

Reconstructed from the official Tufts Announcements page, which was updated at 5:24 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2026, announcing the closure effective 12 p.m. Sunday, January 25.
The announcement specified that Fresh at Carmichael and Dewick-MacPhie Dining Centers would remain open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. while all other dining and university buildings remained closed -- this level of operational specificity is characteristic of Tufts weather closure notices.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction256 chars
TuftsAlert Update: All Tufts campuses remain closed today, Monday, January 26, 2026, due to the ongoing winter storm. Essential operations continue. Classes and activities resume Tuesday, January 27. Stay safe and monitor local conditions before traveling.

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

Reconstructed update; Tufts Daily confirmed the closure extended through all day Monday, January 26, 2026.
Tufts uses its TuftsAlert system in combination with email announcements for weather closures; students must opt in to weather closing alerts separately from emergency notifications.
Context

Background

A significant Nor'easter with heavy snow, high winds, and dangerously frigid temperatures struck the greater Boston area on the weekend of January 25-26, 2026, prompting Tufts University to close all its campuses in Medford/Somerville, Boston, and Grafton beginning at 12 p.m. on Sunday, January 25. The announcement was made Saturday evening, January 24, to allow students, faculty, and staff time to prepare. Classes and on-campus activities were canceled across all campuses through Monday, January 26. Boston University and other area universities also closed during this storm, which was part of a broader winter weather pattern affecting the northeastern United States in early 2026. Tufts provided specific guidance on dining hall availability, noting that two primary dining locations would remain open with reduced hours to serve students who remained on campus. Normal operations resumed Tuesday, January 27, 2026. This January 2026 storm was the first of at least two significant blizzards to affect the Tufts campus that winter, with a second and more historic storm arriving in late February 2026.
Outcome
Tufts campuses were closed from 12 p.m. Sunday, January 25 through all day Monday, January 26, 2026. Classes and on-campus activities were canceled across all three campuses (Medford/Somerville, Boston, and Grafton). Essential operations continued as scheduled. Normal operations resumed Tuesday, January 27.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    University (all campuses) closed as of 12 p.m. Sunday, January 25 and all day on Monday, January 26 due to the winter storm - Tufts Announcements
    announcements.tufts.edu
  2. Student Paper
    BREAKING: University to close through Monday due to major winter storm - The Tufts Daily
    tuftsdaily.com
Tags
winter-stormcampus-closuremassachusettsmedfordnoreasteradvisoryblizzardboston-area
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion