{
  "id": "2024-01-12-idaho-state-university-winter-storm-closure",
  "slug": "idaho-state-university-winter-storm-closure-2024-01-12",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Idaho State University",
    "shortName": "ISU",
    "state": "ID",
    "type": "public-r2",
    "alertSystemName": "ISU Alert",
    "enrollment": 11000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-01-12",
    "type": "winter-storm",
    "cleryCategory": "advisory",
    "headline": "Inclement weather class cancellation across all campus locations",
    "summary": "[Idaho State University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_State_University) canceled all classes at all campus locations on January 12, 2024 as a strong Pacific storm deposited 5 to 9 inches of snow on the Portneuf Valley with wind gusts up to 50 mph creating [hazardous travel conditions throughout eastern Idaho](https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/all-classes-canceled-today-at-isu-due-to-winter-storm/article_f7714e64-b14c-11ee-85f2-b757d9f75c73.html). Only essential operations continued. ISU issued the ISU Alert notification to students and employees that morning.",
    "outcome": "Campus closed for the day. Only essential operations continued. Multiple schools throughout eastern Idaho closed. Conditions improved by the following day and normal operations resumed January 13.",
    "headlinePublic": "Inclement weather class cancellation across all campus locations"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Early morning, January 12, 2024",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "ISU Emergency Alert: Due to inclement weather, all classes are canceled for Friday, January 12, 2024. Essential operations and some events may continue. Contact event coordinators for questions. Employees and students, check your ISU email for more information.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceDescription": "ISU Public Safety Emergency Rave RSS (isu/channel2)",
      "annotations": [
        "FLIP 2026-08-10: exact text recovered from official Rave RSS isu/channel2. Dual independent fetch. SPN 523.",
        "Prior reconstruction replaced; sequence 2 all-clear remains unconfirmed (not present in current RSS item)."
      ],
      "characterCount": 261,
      "confidence": "high",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.getrave.com/rss/isu/channel2",
      "timestamp": "2024-01-11T21:17:06-07:00"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Evening or night of January 12, 2024",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "ISU standard procedure for weather reopening announcements via ISU Alert",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "[Idaho State University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_State_University) is a public research university located in Pocatello in the Portneuf Valley of southeastern Idaho, at an elevation of approximately 4,460 feet. The university serves approximately 11,000 students across its Pocatello main campus and satellite locations in Meridian, Twin Falls, and Idaho Falls. On January 12, 2024, a strong Pacific storm swept through eastern Idaho, depositing 5 to 9 inches of snow in the Portneuf Valley accompanied by wind gusts up to 50 mph that caused drifting and made roads hazardous. [Dozens of schools throughout eastern Idaho closed](https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/winter-storm-impact-on-southern-idaho-schools-roads-live-updates/277-b7f1adce-9676-491a-bdc7-d246d75e39a0) for the day. ISU's Severe Weather Protocol, governed by the President's office, considers road conditions, facility conditions, and the safety of the campus community in deciding to cancel classes. When ISU determines to delay or cancel, it issues an ISU Alert via text and email to all registered students and employees. The multi-campus nature of ISU meant the closure applied to all locations simultaneously, disrupting students at locations hours apart. The ISU Alert system, like many Great Plains and Mountain West institutions, is used specifically for weather closures rather than limiting activation to security threats only.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "ISU cancels classes across all campus locations simultaneously during severe weather -- a single closure affects students hundreds of miles apart",
    "The ISU Alert text-plus-email system is the primary notification channel for weather closures, not limited to security emergencies",
    "January 2024 storm brought wind gusts up to 50 mph, making road conditions hazardous due to drifting even where snowfall amounts were manageable",
    "Eastern Idaho's mountain geography creates distinct winter weather patterns compared to the milder Boise area"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "ISU Rave RSS Public Safety Emergency channel",
      "url": "https://www.getrave.com/rss/isu/channel2",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-08-10",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture; archive.org save endpoint unavailable or throttled"
    },
    {
      "title": "All classes canceled today at ISU due to winter storm - Idaho State Journal",
      "url": "https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/all-classes-canceled-today-at-isu-due-to-winter-storm/article_f7714e64-b14c-11ee-85f2-b757d9f75c73.html",
      "type": "local-media",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "Winter storm prompted mass school cancelations across Idaho - KTVB",
      "url": "https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/winter-storm-impact-on-southern-idaho-schools-roads-live-updates/277-b7f1adce-9676-491a-bdc7-d246d75e39a0",
      "type": "local-media",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "Severe Weather Protocol - Idaho State University",
      "url": "https://www.isu.edu/publicsafety/emergency-management/severe-weather-protocol/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "winter-storm",
    "campus-closure",
    "idaho",
    "pocatello",
    "multi-campus",
    "mountain-west",
    "public-r2",
    "weather-advisory"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-08-10",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}