Bad weather: Does Western ever close?

As the winter weather season approaches, this is a question that is frequently asked. The answer is: Western rarely closes.

The university must balance the effects of weather with the importance of being open in order to fulfill its mission and responsibilities as an educational institution. On a case-by-case basis, the Western Washington University administration evaluates the effects of weather and decides whether to remain open or closed or to delay opening. Each of these decisions is based on an assessment of safety, transportation and other factors.

In case of stormy weather, such as snow and ice, Western will notify students, faculty and staff through a variety of ways on whether the university is open, delayed or closed. Those include email and text messages (texts to those who have provided their cell phone numbers for Western Alerts), the university homepage, university Storm Line/Emergency Hot Line at 360-650-6500 (updated by 6 a.m. on bad weather days), and local radio stations.

For more information, see the Western weather page, which includes an FAQ, relevant policies, class cancelation information, student shuttle information and more.