Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

No Snow Day: NYC Public Schools Will Be Open On Thursday

By

Jen Chung

Published Feb 12, 2014

Modified Feb 13, 2014

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

A child being lifted over the slush last week

 

Getty Images

By

Jen Chung

Published Feb 12, 2014

Modified Feb 13, 2014

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Sorry, Dante de Blasio's friends—you've got school tomorrow. Two members of Mayor de Blasio's staff Tweeted that schools would be open.

This comes as the NYC Office of Emergency Management issued a hazard travel advisory for Thursday and Friday, noting that the "National Weather Service has forecast 4 to 7 inches of heavy, wet snow for the Thursday morning commute." A total of 8-12 inches is expected by Friday morning. Mayor de Blasio said, "Because of its timing and intensity, this storm is going to make both the morning and evening rush hours extremely difficult. If you do not need to drive, you will help yourself and everyone else by staying off the roads. Take mass transit and leave extra time—it will be slow-going for everyone tomorrow."

There was one snow day in de Blasio's New York so far—January 3—but there was school during last week's annoying snow storm and during the January 22 polar vortex storm. The January 22 school day kind of upset some parents, which is unreasonable because snow days are generally pretty rare. Here's a little history we put together in 2012 when Mayor Bloomberg closed NYC schools for five days, due to Hurricane Sandy:

Back in 1993, when there was a Board of Education instead of a Department of Education, the city had to delay the start of the school year for 11 days due to asbestos contamination and some schools were closed even longer during the 1968 teachers strike. Those were the two big long closings in modern New York City school history and it doesn't look like we'll be getting to those levels this time.

As for other school closings? Historically the city has actively tried to do everything it can to NOT close schools. Between 1978 and the blizzard of 1996 the city didn't once declare a weather-related citywide closing in advance. Since then, though, they have been a little more frequent with Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the March blizzard of 2001, a January 2004 snowstorm, a March 2009 snow storm and two February 2010 storms bringing them down. The Blizzard of 2010, however, did not cause schools to close—because it hit the day after Christmas. There was a closing the next month though!

When there aren't snow days, kids get an extra long weekend!

So to all you school kids, parents, school faculty, bus drivers and everyone else—stay warm tomorrow!

Tagged

nyc public schools

schools

snow day

storm

weather

winter

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Early Addition: NYC comptroller backs off investing city pension funds in Israel bonds

Because Mark Levine pledged to make the investment during his campaign, here are your early links: A mini T-Rex skeleton on display at Sotheby's, New Yorkers love a fancy bird, excellent chalupas in Corona and more.

By

James Ramsay

Published Oct 15, 2026 at 8:34 a.m. ET

NYPD investigating after 5-year-old Queens girl found dead

Police responded to a call from her mother after an assault.

By

Brittany Kriegstein

News

NYPD investigating after 5-year-old Queens girl found dead

Police responded to a call from her mother after an assault.

By

Brittany Kriegstein

Hochul, Blakeman offer opposing visions for jobs to stem New York exodus

By

Jimmy Vielkind

Hannah-Jones, NYC schools chancellor set to speak at high-stakes integration town hall

By

Jessica Gould

Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say

By

Charles Lane

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .