With Hurricane Irene looming, the University is canceling all outdoor events scheduled for Sunday, delaying the formal welcoming ceremony for freshmen by one week.

Freshman Convocation, held annually at the Smith Center with a subsequent barbecue on University Yard, is rescheduled to align with Freshman Day of Service Sept. 11. The University also announced Tuesday evening that residence halls will open Friday, a day earlier than planned, to give students a chance to move in and steer clear of the severe weather.

University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard declined to provide further details on the University’s contingency plan for the storm forecast to hit the East Coast.

Organizers of the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial rescheduled Sunday’s dedication event Thursday night, facing the latest reports that Irene will strike the D.C. area that day, The Washington Post reported.

An outdoor movie screening was also originally planned for Sunday as part of Welcome Week.