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With the National Weather Service predicting the possibility of winter weather tonight followed by the possibility of a winter storm that may have a significant impact on central North Carolina starting early Friday through Saturday, UNC-Chapel Hill officials are closely monitoring those conditions to inform decisions about the status of campus operations.

Officials will consider the potential impact on classes for students and faculty scheduled for tonight through Friday; late night and early morning shifts for employees; and classes and work schedules on Thursday, Jan. 21, through Friday, Jan. 22.

Key factors include projections about weather and travel conditions on area roads and campus sidewalks, as well as the operating plans of Chapel Hill Transit and other regional transit. Safety is the number one priority when making weather decisions about campus operations.

Please continue to check the University’s homepage, www.unc.edu, and official Twitter account (@UNC) for updates, along with the information sources listed below. The University is committed to announcing any decision to change operations promptly to give people as much lead time as possible to plan travel to and from class and work.

The best source of information about the status of athletic events is www.GoHeels.com and that sport’s official Twitter feed. Many other University units also post the status of their operations during any adverse weather events on their websites.

Unless a change in operational status is announced, the University always operates on a regular schedule for students, faculty and staff employees. The University uses three new adverse weather operating conditions:

Condition 1 – Reduced Operations. (University is open.)

Condition 2 – Suspended Operations. (University is open only for mandatory operations.)

Condition 3 – Closure.  (Classes are cancelled; offices and facilities are closed.)

Staff employees are reminded of the UNC system’s new Adverse Weather and Emergency Closing Policy, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Visit http://hr.unc.edu/for-faculty-staff/adverse-weather/ to view the new policy and http://bit.ly/1OviRd8 for a summary that explains the key factors in the decision-making process about weather events in greater detail.

As a general rule, students, faculty and staff must use their own best judgment about whether they can travel safely to and from campus. General notices about state government agency delays and closings do not apply to the UNC System or UNC campuses. Please note the UNC System policy also says“The Governor’s declaration of a ‘State of Emergency’ or an advisory by the State Highway Patrol to avoid travel does not automatically necessitate suspended operations.”

Information Sources

If winter weather changes the University’s operating status, campus communications will include:

  • An email, website post and, if conditions warrant, a text message from Alert Carolina, http://www.alertcarolina.unc.edu. You must be signed up to receive an Alert Carolina text message. Alert Carolina will send text messages about decisions to activate or deactivate Condition 2 or Condition 3.
  • Posts on the homepage, www.unc.edu, amplified via official University social media accounts including @UNC and @UNC_HR on Twitter.
  • Adverse Weather and Emergency Phone Line: (919) 843-1234. You may call this number to hear recorded announcements about campus operations.
  • UNC Traveler’s Information System Radio, 1610 AM, near campus.
  • UNC Transportation and Parking for information including parking lot conditions. (http://move.unc.edu)
  • Area news media websites and news reports.
  • Many University units and UNC Health Care post news about the status of their specific operations and events on their websites and official social media accounts.
  • Chapel Hill Transit also posts adverse weather news and routes and schedules. Refer to http://www.townofchapelhill.org/town-hall/news-events/emergency/adverse-weather-updates

Published January 20, 2016