With Major Snowstorm Coming, Boston University Closes Charles River, Fenway, and Medical Campuses Sunday at Noon Through Monday
Significant snowfall, accompanied by single-digit temperatures, is expected to make travel “very difficult to impossible,” according to National Weather Service
With a major snowstorm expected to hit Boston Sunday and Monday BU has announced that the Charles River Campus and Medical Campus will be closed starting at noon on Sunday, through Monday.
With Major Snowstorm Coming, Boston University Closes All Three Campuses Sunday at Noon Through Monday
Details released on how the storm will impact classes, shuttle services, dining, FitRec, libraries, and more, as travel is expected to be “very difficult to impossible.”
Boston University’s Charles River, Fenway, and Medical Campuses will close starting at noon on Sunday, and lasting through Monday, due to the region’s first significant snowstorm of the season, expected to drop 12 to 18 inches, accompanied by dangerously frigid temperatures.
Under BU’s policy, the snow day for the Charles River and Fenway Campuses means that whether or not a person is scheduled to work remotely, both classes and virtual meetings are canceled and people are not expected to work except in instances where managers have deemed emergency exceptions are necessary or employees are considered essential. (On-campus University essential employees must report as scheduled; essential services include, but are not limited to, University Police, Residence Life, Dining Services, Student Health Services, BU Libraries, Facilities Management & Operations, Environmental Health & Safety, Residential Safety, Mail Services, and Network Services.)
Snow is expected to begin falling Sunday around noon and continue throughout the day before tapering off Monday afternoon, with the heaviest snow starting Sunday around 7 pm.
- FitRec is planning to close at 4 pm Sunday and open Monday from 3 to 11 pm.
- All four campus dining halls plan to remain open. For hours of operation click here.
- BU Libraries will close Sunday at noon and plan to reopen Tuesday morning.
- The BU Shuttle’s Hyatt route is scheduled to run its Sunday service from 7 am to 7 pm, and Sunday’s Late-Night service will be suspended. On Monday, the Hyatt route will run a reduced service (1 bus) from 9 am to 7 pm, and a FitRec Snow Day shuttle service will run from 2 pm to 10 pm starting and ending at 33 Harry Agganis Way. This service will mirror the same route as BU’s Late-Night route including the Hyatt among its 13 stops along the Charles River and Fenway Campuses. Stop frequency for the FitRec Snow Day service is approximately every 20 minutes.
- For the last time, the BU community can call the BU snowline at 617-353-SNOW (7669) for updates on the campus closure. The snowline is being retired after the storm, and people should monitor alerts sent to their cell phones or check the University’s home page at BU.edu for updates.
During the snowfall and after it stops, temperatures are expected to be in the single digits, and could even dip below zero, for parts of the coming week.
Because of that, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a cold emergency for the city and said that Boston’s public library system will be open during the frigid conditions to provide a place of warmth. There has been no announcement yet about Boston Public Schools. The city urged residents to “take precautions, including reminding everyone to check in on older adults, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness.” The public is urged to call 911 if anyone sees some experiencing homelessness in the cold.
Medical campus
Boston University Medical Campus will be closed as of 6 am Monday, Jan. 26, including the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and its Patient Treatment Centers, and the BU School of Public Health.
Medical, PA and GMS students who are assigned to inpatient services or clinics are expected to be present, if possible. Students who are assigned to outpatient services, including GSDM students on externship, should check with their course directors or the policy at the clinical site.
Medical campus employees in essential services should report as scheduled. Essential services include, but are not limited to Public Safety, Facilities Management, Emergency Patient Treatment, Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and Mail Service.
Chequers and the Alumni Medical Library also will be closed.
For football fans, the storm coincides nicely with the 3 pm start of the New England Patriots conference championship game in Denver, as they attempt to reach their first Super Bowl since 2019.