Campus Alert Archive
USC

EXTREME COLD WARNING issued for the Columbia campus starting tomorrow Saturday, Janu

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University of South Carolina published a Carolina Alert on or about 2026-02-01. Full text is preserved from the official Carolina Alerts archive.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of South Carolina
Public R1 · SC
All USC cases →
~35,000 studentsCarolina Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how USC says it will use Carolina Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 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.

INITIAL ALERTMulti-channel
Verified verbatim489 chars
Carolina Alert: EXTREME COLD WARNING issued for the Columbia campus starting tomorrow Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am. Check sc.edu/CarolinaAlert for information. Preparedness information can be found at https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/law_enforcement_and_safety/emergency-procedures/natural-disasters-fire/index.php. Please monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert, sc.edu/uofsc/weather/, and local media for more information and updates.
Verify this quote
Carolina Alert archivesc.edufind archived copies
Transcribed from official public safety archive.
Confirmed-verbatim recovery from live institutional source.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 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.

Carolina Alert: EXTREME COLD WARNING issued for the Columbia campus starting tomorrow Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am. Check sc.edu/CarolinaAlert for information. Preparedness information can be found at https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/law_enforcement_and_safety/emergency-procedures/natural-disasters-fire/index.php. Please monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert, sc.edu/uofsc/weather/, and local media for more information and updates.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. It opens "Carolina Alert:" and links the university's own law enforcement and safety preparedness pages.

    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
    1. present: The message opens with the "Carolina Alert" branded signature.
    2. present: The message opens "Carolina Alert" and points to the university's safety office pages.
    3. present: The message begins "Carolina Alert:", identifying the university alert system.
    4. present: The message begins with the "Carolina Alert" branded tag.
    5. present: The message is prefixed "Carolina Alert", the university's alert brand.
    6. present: It is prefixed "Carolina Alert", the university's branded warning channel.
    7. present: The text opens with the "Carolina Alert" branded signature.
    8. present: The message is signed "Carolina Alert" at the start.
    9. present: The message begins "Carolina Alert:", identifying the university's alert system.
    10. present: It begins "Carolina Alert", the branded sender tag for USC notifications.
    11. present: The message begins "Carolina Alert", the university's branded alert signature.
    12. present: The message begins with the "Carolina Alert" signature.
    13. present: The branded "Carolina Alert" prefix identifies the sending system.
    14. present: The message opens with the "Carolina Alert" branded signature.
    15. present: The message begins "Carolina Alert:", a branded institutional signature.
    16. present: The text opens with the "Carolina Alert" branded tag.
    17. present: The branded prefix "Carolina Alert" identifies the sender.
    18. present: The message begins "Carolina Alert:", a branded sender tag.
    19. present: The message carries the Carolina Alert signature.
    20. present: The branded "Carolina Alert" tag opens the notification.
    21. present: Opens with the "Carolina Alert" signature.
    22. present: The alert carries the "Carolina Alert:" branded signature.
    23. present: The branded prefix "Carolina Alert:" identifies the sending system.
    24. present: The message is signed "Carolina Alert" by the university's alert system.
    25. present: The message opens "Carolina Alert:", a branded signature identifying the sender.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The hazard is named in capitals as an "EXTREME COLD WARNING" for the campus.

    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
    1. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING" as the specific weather hazard.
    2. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    3. present: It announces an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    4. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    5. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" names cold as the specific hazard.
    6. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" is the named hazard.
    7. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    8. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" is the specific hazard named.
    9. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    10. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" is a specific named weather hazard.
    11. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" is the named hazard.
    12. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    13. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" names a specific weather hazard.
    14. present: It announces an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    15. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    16. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" names the specific weather hazard.
    17. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" is a specific named weather hazard.
    18. present: It announces an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    19. present: An EXTREME COLD WARNING is a specific named weather hazard.
    20. present: It announces an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    21. present: Names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    22. present: An "EXTREME COLD WARNING" is a specific named weather hazard.
    23. present: It announces an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    24. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
    25. present: It names an "EXTREME COLD WARNING", a specific weather hazard.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus", a single named place with no ambiguity.

    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
    1. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    2. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    3. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    4. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    5. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    6. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    7. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    8. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    9. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    10. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    11. present: It is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    12. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    13. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    14. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    15. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    16. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus."
    17. present: It is issued "for the Columbia campus."
    18. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    19. present: It applies to the Columbia campus.
    20. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    21. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    22. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    23. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
    24. present: The warning is issued "for the Columbia campus".
    25. present: The warning is "issued for the Columbia campus".
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. It tells recipients to "Check sc.edu/CarolinaAlert for information" and to "monitor" the weather page and local media, plus a preparedness link.

    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
    1. present: It tells readers to check the Carolina Alert site and monitor listed sources and preparedness pages.
    2. present: It tells recipients to check the Carolina Alert page and "monitor" listed sites and local media.
    3. present: It tells readers to check and "monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert" and local media.
    4. present: It tells readers to check and "monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert" and local media.
    5. present: It tells recipients to check preparedness information and monitor the listed sites and local media.
    6. present: Readers are told to check the Carolina Alert and weather pages and preparedness information.
    7. present: It directs recipients to check and "monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert" and local media.
    8. present: It tells readers to check the Carolina Alert site and monitor listed pages for updates.
    9. present: It directs readers to check CarolinaAlert and the linked preparedness page and monitor local media.
    10. present: It directs readers to check the Carolina Alert site and monitor listed pages and local media.
    11. present: It tells readers to check preparedness information and monitor the listed sites for updates.
    12. present: It tells readers to check the Carolina Alert site and monitor weather pages and local media.
    13. present: It tells readers to check the alert site and "monitor" the weather page and local media.
    14. present: It tells readers to check and monitor the Carolina Alert, weather and local media pages.
    15. present: It directs readers to check and "monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert" and local media.
    16. present: It directs readers to preparedness information and to monitor the alert and weather pages.
    17. present: Readers are told to check preparedness information and monitor listed sites.
    18. present: It tells readers to check Carolina Alert and monitor listed sites and local media for updates.
    19. present: Readers are told to check the Carolina Alert site, preparedness pages and local media.
    20. present: It directs people to check the Carolina Alert page and monitor listed sites for updates.
    21. present: Directs readers to check the Carolina Alert page and monitor listed sites for updates.
    22. present: It directs readers to check and monitor the Carolina Alert and weather pages and preparedness information.
    23. present: It tells recipients to check preparedness information and monitor listed sites for updates.
    24. present: It tells readers to check the Carolina Alert site and monitor weather pages and local media.
    25. present: It asks readers to check and "monitor www.sc.edu/CarolinaAlert" and local media for updates.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, 25 of 25. The exact window is stated: "starting tomorrow Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".

    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
    1. present: The window runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    2. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    3. present: It runs "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    4. present: It runs "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    5. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    6. present: It runs from Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am.
    7. present: Validity runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    8. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    9. present: Validity is precise: Saturday 7:00pm through "Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    10. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    11. present: The window runs Saturday, January 31 at 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1 at 10:00am.
    12. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    13. present: It runs "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    14. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    15. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    16. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am."
    17. present: It runs from Saturday, January 31, 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 10:00am.
    18. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    19. present: The window runs from Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am.
    20. present: It runs from Saturday "7:00pm" until Sunday "10:00am" with explicit dates.
    21. present: Runs "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    22. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    23. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    24. present: Duration is given from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
    25. present: It runs from "Saturday, January 31, 2026 7:00pm until Sunday, February 1, 2026 10:00am".
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, 0 of 25. No read found any consequence of the cold, such as frostbite or burst pipes; the alert names the warning and points to links only.

    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
    1. absent: No consequence of extreme cold, such as frostbite or pipe damage, is stated.
    2. absent: No consequence such as frostbite, pipe damage, or danger to people is stated.
    3. absent: No effect of the cold on people or property is described.
    4. absent: No effect of extreme cold on people or property is stated.
    5. absent: Apart from the warning label, no harm such as frostbite or hypothermia is described.
    6. absent: Apart from the word extreme, no effect of the cold on people or property is described.
    7. absent: No statement of what extreme cold could do to people or property is included.
    8. absent: No effect of the extreme cold on people or property is described.
    9. absent: Nothing states what extreme cold could do to people or property.
    10. absent: No effect of the extreme cold on people or property is stated, only where to find information.
    11. absent: The warning states no consequence of extreme cold such as frostbite or hypothermia.
    12. absent: No health effect or severity of the cold is described, only where to find information.
    13. absent: No effect of the extreme cold on people or property is described.
    14. absent: No harm from extreme cold, such as frostbite or hypothermia, is mentioned.
    15. absent: No statement describes what extreme cold could do to people or property.
    16. absent: No effect of extreme cold on people or property is described.
    17. absent: No consequence of the extreme cold, such as frostbite or pipe damage, is stated.
    18. absent: Nothing states what extreme cold could do to people or property.
    19. absent: No effect of the extreme cold on people or property is described.
    20. absent: No effect of extreme cold on people or property is described.
    21. absent: No statement of what extreme cold could do, such as frostbite or hypothermia.
    22. absent: No effect of extreme cold, such as frostbite or hypothermia risk, is stated.
    23. absent: No effect of extreme cold on people or property is described.
    24. absent: No effect of extreme cold on people or property is stated.
    25. absent: No effect of the cold on people or property, such as frostbite or burst pipes, is stated.

Coded by Claude Opus 5

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

About this analysis
Context

Background

USC Law Enforcement and Safety Carolina Alert archive.
Analysis

Key Findings

Official archive preserves complete alert text.
Outcome
See official notice for status.
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.

  1. Official
    Carolina Alert: EXTREME COLD WARNING issued for the Columbia campus starting tomorrow Saturday, Janu
    sc.edu
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of South Carolina: EXTREME COLD WARNING issued for the Columbia campus starting tomorrow Saturday, Janu." Incident of February 1, 2026. Added July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-south-carolina-extreme-cold-warning-issued-for-the-columbia-campu-2026-02-01/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
south-carolinausccarolina-alertweatherUnder Investigation
Added July 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion