New York City is bracing for more than a foot of snow this weekend, posing an early challenge for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as a major storm system threatens to disrupt power, flights and public transportation across the region. However, he ruled out the traditional snow day for children in public schools.
Public school students are reportedly only allowed to take remote classes early next week as the city braces for a massive storm that the mayor said is likely to bring “3-16 inches of snow.”
“To the disappointment of every student watching right now, I know that Monday will either be a distance learning day or an in-person school day. It won’t be a traditional snow day. That’s a decision we’ve made,” Mamdani said Friday on NY1.
The city will announce by Sunday whether students are expected to attend classes in person or remotely. The mayor explained that the timing allows authorities to better assess the expected snowfall, which can vary widely, before making a final decision for parents, students and teachers.
Mamdani acknowledged that his decision was likely to be particularly disappointing to the student who had gone to great lengths to convince him otherwise.
“There’s a student who somehow found my wife’s email. Apparently they made some great points. She thought it was a very, very good argument,” he added.
Forecasters say a fast-approaching winter storm could dump up to 18 inches of snow on the city by Monday, bringing freezing temperatures and creating a travel nightmare across the tri-state area.
“If it’s on the lower end, we’re fully confident that we can clear our streets so students can get to school. But we want to give our sanitation department the next few days to see what we’re actually looking at,” Mamdani continued.
Snowfall is forecast to begin early Sunday and continue through Monday.
Meanwhile, according to the mayor, city sanitation trucks were already out early Friday morning clearing highways and major streets in preparation for the storm. About 2,000 sanitation workers were also expected to work 12-hour shifts from Saturday to ensure continuous snow removal.
As much as 16 inches (41 centimeters) of snow could fall in New York’s Central Park as of Sunday morning, marking the heaviest snowfall of the season. The storm, which is expected to bring ice to southern states, is moving northeast, according to Bloomberg’s Brian Hurley, chief forecaster at the U.S. Weather Forecast Center.
Snow is also forecast in Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. If predictions hold, it will be Manhattan’s biggest snowstorm since 2021, based on Central Park snowfall measurements.
