NYC Braces for Historic Blizzard: Travel Ban, School Closures Issued
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has banned most travel within the city limits starting at 9 p.m.
- Mamdani also announced the cancellation of classes for New York City public schools on Monday, with no remote learning options available.
- The impending weather event is the second major snowstorm to challenge Mamdani since he assumed office on New Year’s Day.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has banned most travel within the city limits starting at 9 p.m. Sunday until noon Monday, an extraordinary measure taken in anticipation of a expected to impact the region.
Mamdani also announced the cancellation of classes for New York City public schools on Monday, with no remote learning options available. This marks the city’s first traditional “snow day” since , according to the mayor.
The impending weather event is the second major snowstorm to challenge Mamdani since he assumed office on New Year’s Day. His decisions, and their impact on the city’s 8.5 million residents, are being closely watched by both supporters and critics.
The mayor addressed some concerns raised after implementing remote learning during January’s snowstorm, acknowledging the difficulties virtual classes pose for many families. This time, he announced the snow day by sharing a video of a FaceTime call with a New York City student named Victoria. “No school online, no remote learning, it’s a classic snow day,” he told her as she celebrated. “My only ask for you is to stay safe and stay home during the peak of the storm. Once it passes, feel free to go out and sled.”
Non-essential city offices and services, including libraries, will also be closed to the public.
Transportation will be significantly affected. Staten Island Ferry service was suspended starting at 5 p.m. Sunday and is expected to resume late Monday morning. Long Island Rail Road service will also be suspended after 1 a.m. Monday, with resumption dependent on improving weather conditions.
At least 18 people died during January’s snowstorm and subsequent cold wave.
“We are going to do everything in our power, across the entire city government, to respond to the storm as quickly as possible,” Mamdani said during a press conference Sunday.
The city has declared a state of emergency and is bolstering its sanitation response, with over 2,000 snow plows ready to deploy once 50 millimeters of snow accumulates. More than 2,600 sanitation workers will be working 12-hour shifts.
A key focus of the preparations is strengthening the response for New York City’s homeless population, who comprised a significant number of fatalities during the previous winter weather event. The city has enhanced its Code Blue operations, including opening additional warming centers and keeping overdose prevention centers open overnight.
Eighty-four individuals were brought into shelters on Saturday. Additional reports coming into the 311 hotline regarding vulnerable individuals on the streets will be redirected to 911.
The administration announced earlier this week that it would resume clearing homeless encampments, but the mayor stated during a press conference Saturday that no evictions would take place during the winter weather. “So our focus during the course of this storm will not be on physical infrastructure, but on getting people who are unhoused indoors,” he added.
Mamdani has maintained an active presence on television and social media to disseminate announcements. On Sunday, wearing his customized Carhartt jacket, he posted a video on X, joining Department of Transportation crews in the Bronx as they spread salt, and also appeared on The Weather Channel.