Winter storm warning in effect for NYC; Public schools to go fully remote Tuesday

NEW YORK -- New York City is gearing up for significant snowfall Tuesday. 

While we were finally able to break our 701-day snowless streak earlier this winter, so far we've accumulated just a little over 2 inches of snow in the Big Apple. That's expected to change Tuesday, when several inches are expected. More than 4 inches could fall in parts of New York City.

Mayor Eric Adams said every street in the city will be equally salted thanks to new GPS technology, where supervisors can see from their smartphones what areas have been covered.

"We're taking this storm extremely, extremely serious. We want New Yorkers to be prepared, and we want New Yorkers to do the same. We expect slippery roads and limited visibility. And so we're strongly encouraging New Yorkers if you don't have to go out, stay home. And please use public transportation. We want to minimize the number of vehicles on the road so that our apparatus and vehicles can actually deal with the removal of snow and make our movement of vehicles in the city more feasible," Adams said. "We're doing everything in our powers to keep New Yorkers safe. We want New Yorkers to do everything in their powers to continue to be safe by, again, staying off the roads." 

New York City Public Schools to be fully remote Tuesday

Adams announced Monday morning that New York City Public Schools will switch to remote learning Tuesday. 

"That's one of the things that came out of COVID-19. We can continue the educational process of our children. So they will be learning remotely," Adams added. 

"Our schools are still in session, just differently. Long gone are the days of just a snow day, and everybody just has off," Schools Chancellor David Banks said. "So we're going to have a big snowstorm, most likely, but our students, we expect them to be fully engaged." 

Banks said he expects schools will be open as normal on Wednesday. 

"It's one of the good things that in fact emerged from the pandemic, was our preparedness to be ready for moments like this. And I think the school system is more than prepared," Banks said. 

Banks said he's no Grinch for holding remote learning and not canceling school altogether. 

"By three o'clock, the school day is over. They'll have plenty of time to get out into the snow and still have some fun. So, we don't want the kids to not have fun. I'm not a Grinch. But we do want them to be actively engaged in school and get the most out of it," Banks said.

There will be no remote learning for Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of New York. Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens, however, will go remote.

After-school activities city wide, in both public and private schools, are also cancelled.

"We did not want kids to be stuck on buses and teachers having to make their way, particularly once the snowstorm happens, making their way even home," Banks said.

MTA says it's prepared for storm

The MTA said it's ready for the storm. 

Workers put chains on buses in case there's lots of snow on city streets. 

Subways and commuter railroads will deploy snow-fighting trains, tow trucks and de-icing equipment to protect tracks and switches. 

The transit agency said some service could be modified Tuesday. 

"We're expecting to run normal service on buses, on subways, on Long Island Rail Roads and on paratransit and we'll being running a very robust, but slightly modified service on Metro-North," MTA Chair Janno Lieber said. "We are mindful that there are 220 miles of New York City subway that are outdoors."  

The MTA said it may move trains inside and underground to protect them from heavy snow and ice.

Zoos and libraries will be closed Tuesday

All Wildlife Conservation Society zoos and the New York Aquarium will be closed Tuesday. That includes the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo.

In addition, all branches of the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and Queens Public Library will be closed.

Alternate Side Parking regulations will be suspended Tuesday

Alternate Side Parking regulations are suspended Tuesday as well. Payment at parking meters will remain as normal, however. 

The Department of Sanitation has issued a snow alert for Tuesday. 

Salt spreaders will begin salting streets at midnight, DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Plowing will begin once accumulation reaches two inches or more. 

"We have a huge fleet of snow-fighting equipment, over 700 salt spreaders and over 2,000 plows. Gone are the days of primary, secondary and tertiary streets for salt spreading and plowing purposes. Now every street on the city is on a route, and every route can be dispatched at the same time. This is what the mayor has referred to as plowing equity in New York City," Tisch said. "A reminder to New Yorkers: A plowed street does not immediately show blacktop, so please be patient as our plows come through and let them do their thing." 

New Yorkers can track plowing in their neighborhoods in real time by checking PlowNYC. 

Polling places will be open for the special election

Polling place for Tuesday's special election will be open as usual, officials said. 

The storm is expected to start out as rain Monday night and convert to snow in time for the morning rush hour. We'll then see some brisk accumulations throughout the morning before the storm blows out of our area by Tuesday evening. 

The storm is expected to have significant impacts throughout our area, including in New Jersey, where preparations were underway as well. 

Click here for the latest forecast from the First Alert Weather Team. For more on our expected snow totals in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, click here.