Weather Policy

Middlebury College maintains the following guidelines for outdoor events on its main Vermont campus and in auxiliary spaces and properties owned by the college.

• All events with an outdoor location are required to have a written severe weather plan developed and communicated to all parties involved in the organization, execution, and participation in the event.
• The College uses on-campus Earth Networks and Weather Underground, along with information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to determine wet-bulb temperature, wind chill, air quality, and wind direction. EarthNetworks and  Weather Underground have established weather stations on campus. The Department of Event Management, the Department of Emergency Management, and the Department of Environmental Health, Safety, and Compliance collaborate closely regarding severe weather that may impact outdoor events.
• For outdoor events at auxiliary locations (Bread Loaf campus, Rikert Outdoor Center, and Middlebury Snowbowl), Event Management collaborates closely with the facility managers to ensure safe event conditions. Weather conditions in Ripton, Vermont (Bread Loaf and Rikert Outdoor Center), and Hancock, Vermont (Middlebury Snowbowl) can deviate significantly from those on central campus due to their higher elevation. 

Applicable weather guidelines for outdoor events are as follows:

Extreme Heat Guidelines

Utilizing wet bulb globe temperature index, or “WBGT,” means a measure of the combined effect of air temperature, air speed, humidity, and radiation. 

Cold Weather Guidelines 

When to Modify or Cancel

• WBGT in excess of 85°F: Strongly consider altering outdoor activities depending on strenuous nature
• WBGT in excess of 90°F: Cancel or move indoors all outdoor programming except for emergency operations.
• Wind chill below 0°F: Strongly consider moving activities indoors or shortening outdoor exposure.
• Wind chill below -20°F: Cancel or move all outdoor programming except for emergency operations.

Rain / Thunderstorms Guidelines

• Immediate Pause and find indoor shelter if:
  • Lightning is identified within 8 miles of campus, suspend activity for at least 30 minutes after the last lightning. Follow the lighting alert system notification warnings when on the Middlebury Campus or the host facilities system when traveling.

Wind Guidelines

• Suspend or Modify Activities if:
  • Sustained winds exceed 30 mph
  • Gusts exceed 45 mph

Air Quality Guidelines

 – Uutilizing the Air Quality Index (AQI) from the EPA. The AQI is a 0 to 500 scale calculated utilizing six parameters: Ground Level Ozone, PM2.5 and PM10 particles, Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur dioxide, and Nitrogen Dioxide. Weather Underground maintains a Middlebury station calculating AQI for the area.