Penn is monitoring the weather forecast and beginning campus-wide preparations in anticipation of a winter storm this weekend.
In a Jan. 22 email — written by Provost John Jackson Jr., Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield, and Vice President of the Division of Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson — the University detailed notification methods and attendance expectations in the case of “weather-related campus operation suspension or modification.” At the time of publication, the Philadelphia area is expected to receive over a foot of snowfall between next Sunday to Monday.
According to Penn’s Division of Public Safety, the University has yet to make a final decision on whether to shut down operations on Jan. 26.
“Under normal circumstances, the University of Pennsylvania never stops operating,” the Division of Public Safety wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “In an effort to ensure the safety of faculty, staff and students, timely decisions to modify work schedules due to emergencies will be made.”
A winter storm watch is in place in Philadelphia from Saturday evening to Monday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing even after the storm passes, with single-digit wind chills on Monday morning and below zero wind chills by Jan. 27.
“We are continuing to monitor the weather forecast,” a spokesperson for the Provost’s Office wrote to the Daily Pennsylvanian.
In the event of class cancellations or modifications, the Penn community will receive a text message and email from the UPennAlert emergency notification system, according to the Jan. 22 message.
Certain essential services — such as public safety, facilities, and dining — will continue to be provided in the event of suspended operations. Per University policy, staff members in “essential” positions will continue operating on regular work schedules.
Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services prepares for inclement weather several days before the arrival of a storm, a FRES spokesperson wrote to the DP.
The department inspects campus walkways, restocks salt and melt materials, and coordinates essential staff who clear snow, sleet, and ice from walkways and outdoor spaces.
“Weather models are monitored throughout the event to ensure a coordinated response related to conditions, timing, and campus needs,” the statement read. “Each storm behaves differently depending on temperature, timing, and storm track, so teams adjust in real time to keep campus as safe and accessible as possible.”
According to the FRES spokesperson, several areas of Penn’s campus have already been treated to reduce ice due to last weekend’s storm and the "ongoing melt and refreeze cycle.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker — who graduated from the Fels Institute of Government in 2016 — will host a “coordinated briefing” on Friday morning to discuss the city’s preparedness and response plans.
According to a city-wide media advisory, this weekend’s storm is forecast to bring "the highest single-day snow accumulation the city has seen in more than a decade.”
In 2024, Penn suspended University operations for the first time in years due to heavy snowfall. At the time, the Division of Public Safety announced the decision the night before the suspension was set to take effect.
Staff reporter Danna Cai covers climate and sustainability and can be reached at cai@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies biology. Follow her on X @dannaacai.
