Hopkins Online:
Let It Snow,
Let It Snow,
Let It Snow

You can find out instantly, by calling the university's weather emergency telephone line: (410)516-7781, or, from areas where Baltimore is a long-distance call, 1(800)548-9004. APL has a separate phone line, at (410)792-6101.

Johns Hopkins policy is to remain open whenever possible, both because so many students live within walking distance of class and because so many employees are involved in patient care.

But last winter's blizzard proved there are times when even Johns Hopkins has to close, or at least make major changes in its normal schedule.

When snow falls, the phone line offers several advantages over radio and TV reports:

Immediacy. As soon as the university decides what to do during a snowstorm, the weather emergency line message is recorded. That usually occurs by 6 a.m. after an overnight storm. Decisions on part-time evening classes are usually made by 1 p.m. During major storms, the line is updated frequently with new information on library hours, shuttle service, etc.

No waiting. You don't have to wait for radio announcers to get through a long list of other institutions.

Completeness and accuracy. In a weather emergency, a big university like Hopkins has a lot of information to convey to students, faculty and staff all over the Baltimore-Washington area. Broadcasters have time to mention only the bare essentials, and they sometimes get even that wrong.

The information on the phone line is also available in cyberspace, on JHUniverse at http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/jhuinfo/emergncy.html.