A severe winter storm brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to Nashville Jan. 24, leaving parts of Vanderbilt’s campus without power, water and safe walkways. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency Jan. 22, and President Donald Trump approved a federal emergency declaration Jan. 25 to support response efforts. Vanderbilt canceled all in-person classes Monday, Jan. 26, designating the day an Administrative Day.
Across campus, freezing rain weighed down tree limbs until they snapped, blocking walkways and damaging infrastructure. Students reported ice-covered stairs, fallen power lines and debris near residence halls and academic buildings, with some climbing over fallen trees to reach Commons for heat and electricity. Many also said they heard the loud crashes of trees hitting the ground throughout the day.
Several lampposts were knocked over as branches fell, splintering poles across sidewalks and roads. The damage, along with trees bending into walkways, left paths obstructed and heightened safety concerns for students navigating campus during the storm.
Ice-laden branches split trees in half, scattering debris across lawns, courtyards and roads. Fallen limbs near Stevenson, Rand, Kirkland, Kissam, Buttrick, Commons, Alumni Lawn, Benton Chapel and Alumni Hall left once-clear spaces covered in ice and wood, forcing students to navigate detours and hazardous paths.
Ice and snow transformed familiar parts of campus into quiet, frozen scenes. Icicles formed on benches, signs and leaves, while trees bowed under the weight of ice, giving campus an unusually still and wintry atmosphere.
Wide stretches of snow-covered lawns and paths were marked only by tire tracks or the careful steps of students navigating slick routes. From groceries left on a Village balcony due to a power outage to a lone student walking beneath ice-coated trees, students adapted as the storm reshaped daily routines and heightened the challenges of moving through campus.
R. Welch • Jan 30, 2026 at 2:12 pm CST
Quite a sight. Nothing like that in my time at Vandy (62-66), but I do recall the amazing cold of January ’63, when Nashville got an astonishing -25 low. Being right across from the bellow and roar of the power plant, in Cole Hall, I found that all stayed warm. No trees fell.