Campus Operations
Weather Closings & Delayed Starts
Northern Wesconsin winters mean this page gets used most years — here is how a closing decision actually gets made.
Who decides, and when
The vice chancellor for operations makes the call, usually by 5:30 a.m. for a morning closing, after a briefing from facilities (road and lot conditions), the county sheriff’s department (regional road closures) and the National Weather Service. A late-afternoon storm gets a separate evening decision for the next day, posted by 9 p.m. when possible.
How you will hear about it
A closing or delayed start goes out by campus-wide email, the homepage banner, the campus mobile app, and local radio and TV stations — not through PorterAlert, which is reserved for immediate safety threats rather than routine weather (see emergency alerts & campus safety). Residence halls, dining, and the library generally stay open on a closing day even when classes do not meet; check the specific service’s own hours.
Full closing vs. delayed start
A delayed start pushes the first classes of the day back by a set number of hours without cancelling the rest of the schedule. A full closing cancels on-campus classes for the day; some faculty shift that day’s material online at their discretion, and some do not — a closing is not automatically a remote-instruction day campus-wide.
How often it actually happens
Porter Falls averages one to three weather closings or delays per academic year, almost always in December, January or February. A full closing is rare enough that it is treated as a genuine event, not a routine occurrence — most winter storms get a delayed start or no change at all.