📅 Browse Closings by Decade

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*Editor note: This list is updated as more information becomes available*

When extreme or severe weather hits the High Country there is always one event that seems to get more attention than just about anything else, Appalachian State closing.

“It must be bad if ASU is closed” or “They never closed when I was in school” are just two of the more popular sentiments expressed, both on social media and in conversations, when the university has to change schedules. However closings have occurred more than you may have thought.

At least 50 times since 1974 some or all classes have been canceled or the university has closed due to weather. There's a record of a closing on February 20, 1943 but it is not known if it was due to snow or another weather event.

This is an unofficial list based on information from the ASU news bureau, newspaper accounts and other unofficial records. To see the closings history for Watauga County Schools see this story.

1974
Dec. 3, 1974
Dec. 5, 1974, snow 18 inches

1985
Jan. 21, 1985
Feb. 13, 1985

1986

Jan 28, 1986, day of Challenger disaster. Classes before noon were cancelled for cold or snow according to a Facebook report.

1987
April 6, 1987

1988

Unknown date in 1988, due to extreme cold/wind chills according to Facebook report.

1989

Sept. 22, 1989, closed due to Hurricane Hugo causing floods and a sinkhole in the Legends parking lot.

1993
March 15-19, 1993, blizzard

1998
Jan. 28, 1998, snow 18 inches

2003
Jan. 23, 2003, snow 6-8 inches
Jan. 24, 2003, 8 and 9 a.m. classes canceled
Feb. 17, 2003, Classes canceled, snow and ice

2004
Feb. 3, 2004, classes before 10 a.m. canceled
Feb. 6, 2004, classes before 10 a.m. canceled
Feb. 26, 2004 classes before 10 a.m. canceled
Sept. 17, 2004, classes canceled due to Hurricane Ivan

2005
Feb. 28, 2005, all classes canceled
March 2, 2005, 8 a.m. classes canceled
March 17, 2005, 8 a.m. canceled

2006

No official or unofficial records found

2007
Jan. 3 or 4, 2007, 8 and 9 a.m. canceled, black ice
Jan. 29, 8 and 9 a.m. classes canceled

2008
Feb. 1, 2008, ice storm
Feb 27, 2008, 8 and 9 a.m. canceled
Feb. 28, 2008, 8 and 9 a.m. canceled

2009
Jan. 21, 2009, 8 a.m. classes only were canceled, snow
Feb. 4, 2009, classes before 10 a.m. were canceled, snow
Feb. 5, 2009, classes that met before 11 a.m. were canceled
March 2, 2009, snow 8-12 inches
March 3, 2009, classes that occurred before 9:30 a.m. canceled, snow

2010
Cancellations during week of final exams in December, exact dates not known

2011
No cancellations because of weather

2012

Oct. 29, 2012, classes after 6 p.m. canceled
Oct. 30, 2012, all classes canceled (both days related to snow from Hurricane Sandy)

2013

Jan. 17 (Thursday) All evening classes on main campus were canceled, snow storm

Jan 18 (Friday) – Classes before 10 a.m. cancelled

Jan 25 (Friday) All classes were cancelled beginning at noon, Snow/sleet

Jan 30 (Wednesday) night classes cancelled, flooding

Feb. 1 (Friday) Classes before 10 cancelled, snow

Feb 4 (Monday) Classes before 10 cancelled, snow

Feb. 26 classes before 11 a.m. cancelled, sleet & freezing rain

March 6 – classes cancelled, ice with snow and blowing snow

2014

Jan. 7, 2014, severe windchill (this was during break between fall and spring semesters)

Jan. 21, 2014, classes dismissed at 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 22, 2014, classes cancelled until 11 a.m.

Jan. 29, 2014, classes cancelled until 10 a.m.
Feb. 12, 2014, university closed at noon in advance of winter storm across the southeast.

Feb. 13, 2014, university closed; all classes cancelled.
Feb. 14, 2014. University opened at 10 with classes beginning at 11 a.m.

March 7, 2014 – all classes canceled. University closed until noon.
March 26, 2014 – Classes canceled until 10 a.m.

Fall Semester 2014

Nov. 18 – Classes canceled until 9:30 a.m.

2015

 Spring Semester 2015

Feb. 16 – classes dismissed at 3 p.m.

Feb. 17 – classes canceled until 2 p.m.

Feb. 18 – classes canceled beginning at 4 p.m.

Feb. 19 – Classes canceled, severe wind chill predicted

Feb. 20 – Classes canceled until 10 a.m.

Feb. 24 – Classes canceled until 2 p.m.

2016

Spring Semester 2016

Wednesday January 20 – Classes that begin at 5pm or later cancelled

Friday January 22 – all classes canceled

Feb. 10 – Classes canceled until 10 a.m.

Feb. 15 – Classes cancelled all day.

2017

Updated information coming soon

2018

2018 Spring Semester

Wednesday January 17 – All classes canceled

Thursday January 18 – classes that begin prior to 11:00 am cancelled.

Tuesday January 30 – Classes before 10am cancelled.

Monday March 12 – All classes cancelled

Wednesday March 14 – All classes cancelled

Wednesday September 12 at 5pm to to 5 p.m. Sunday Sept. 16 for Hurricane Florence

 Monday, Sept. 17, and Tuesday, Sept. 18. for Hurricane Florence

Classes that begin before 10 a.m. are cancelled on November 16 due to winter weather

Classes that begin before 10 a.m. are cancelled on November 28 due to winter weather

Classes after 1 pm cancelled on December 5 due to winter weather

2019

Beginning at 5 p.m. App State classes on Tuesday Feb. 19 are cancelled; employees at Condition 2 

Classes that begin before 11a.m. are cancelled for Wednesday Feb 20

2020

Classes that start before 9am are canceled for Feb 21

Classes that start before 11am are canceled for Feb 27

Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 20 all undergraduate and graduate classes canceled due to coronavirus concerns.