Mamdani Rules Out 'Snow Day' For NYC Students On Monday Despite Storm

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said ruled out a traditional snow day for New York City school students on Monday, amid a major snowstorm expected to hit the area on Sunday.

Schools will remain open or students will be under remote learning on Monday depending on the weather. A final decision will be made by noon on Sunday.

"I have to apologize to the students that were hoping for a different answer,” Mamdani said during a press conference on Friday. “A traditional snow day will not be the case.”

“If it’s too much snow to safely call for students and educators to come to school,” he added, “that is precisely what pushes us to require remote learning.”

According to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to impact the region from Saturday night through Monday morning.

In the New York City metro area, forecasters are currently predicting between 3 and 16 inches of total snowfall, Mamdani said.

On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for the whole state, and New York City is under a Winter Storm Watch from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Citywide impacts are anticipated, including hazardous commutes, slippery roads and possible power outages, New York City Department of Emergency Management said.

Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the Department of Education is ready for the possibility of a pivot to remote learning on Monday.

Samuels said they now have the capacity of having a million students logging in at the same time within 60 seconds.