Now that’s a cold call that’ll stick with you!
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is sending a clear message to New York City kids: forget about dreaming of a traditional snow day on Monday—no matter what the weather brings.
Public school students might only get remote classes early next week as the city prepares for a massive storm, expected to dump "3 to 16 inches of snow," according to the mayor.
“Monday is either going to be a remote learning day or it’s going to be an in-person school day,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced. Gabriella Bass for NY Post
“I know to the disappointment of any student that’s watching this right now, Monday is either going to be a remote learning day or it’s going to be an in-person school day,” Mamdani said on NY1 on Friday.
“It’s not going to be a traditional snow day. That is a determination we’ve made.”
The mayor admitted that kids hoping for a snow day won’t be thrilled by his announcement—"disappointment" is the word he used. Gabriella Bass
By Sunday, the city will announce whether students should head to class in person or stay home for remote learning.
“By 12 p.m. on Sunday, we’re going to let parents, students and teachers know which of the two it’s going to be,” Hizzoner said.
Tourists stroll through Central Park on December 27, 2025, soaking in the winter scenery. LP Media
“The reason that we’re waiting until then is to see what is the extent of the snowfall we’re talking about, because you know as well as I do, the range is a pretty big range.”
Mamdani admitted that his decision will hit especially hard for one student who went to great lengths to persuade him otherwise.
The Big Apple could be slammed with as much as 18 inches of snow by Monday. Getty Images
“There’s a student that somehow found my wife’s email,” he said, adding “they apparently made some great points.”
“She thought it was a very, very good argument.”
Forecasters warn that a fast-approaching winter storm could dump up to 18 inches of snow on the city through Monday—bringing freezing temperatures and a travel nightmare across the tri-state area.
“If it’s on the lower end, we have full confidence that we can clean our streets such that students can get into school,” Mamdani said.
Central Park blanketed in snow on January 18, 2026. LP Media
“But we want to give our sanitation department these next few days to see what are we actually looking at.”
The city’s sanitation trucks hit the roads first thing Friday, clearing highways and major streets ahead of the storm, the mayor said.
Around 2,000 sanitation workers were scheduled to work 12-hour shifts starting Saturday, tackling snow around the clock.
Central Park comes alive with winter fun as a child sleds on December 27, 2025. Leonardo Munoz
Snow is forecast to begin in the early hours of Sunday and keep falling through Monday.
If the Big Apple sees a foot of snow, it would be the heaviest snowfall since February 2021, when 16.8 inches blanketed Central Park over just two days.
