New York City braces for a massive winter storm, but don’t expect a classic snow day for school kids this Monday.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Friday that nearly 1 million public school students will either attend classes in person or switch to remote learning on Monday, depending on storm conditions.

A major winter storm is forecast to dump up to 18 inches of snow across the tri-state area starting late Saturday or early Sunday, prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency. The city will confirm by Sunday at noon whether schools will operate remotely or in-person, while officials urge residents to avoid travel and stay indoors during the hazardous conditions.

The storm preparation includes over 2,000 sanitation workers on 12-hour shifts starting Saturday, with 2,200 plows ready to roll once two inches of snow accumulate. Mamdani noted the city has stockpiled 700 million pounds of salt, and sanitation trucks were already salting roads Friday morning. This could be the heaviest snowfall since February 2021, when Central Park recorded 16.8 inches over two days.

Storm Preparations Under Mamdani’s Watch

Critics are already questioning whether the city’s response will match the hype of Mamdani’s dubbed “Blade Runner 2.0” operation, the New York Post reported. With forecasts predicting a paralyzing foot or more of snow, there’s little room for error in a dense urban jungle like NYC. Taxpayers deserve to see if this administration can deliver when the flakes start falling.

Mamdani’s decision to nix a traditional snow day has sparked frustration among parents and students hoping for a break. “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 Friday. That’s cold comfort for kids dreaming of sledding in Central Park.

Let’s be real—remote learning has been a mess in the past, with students struggling to log on during previous attempts. One parent vented, calling it “a consistent failure” and questioning why the city keeps experimenting with a flawed system. While new Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels claims the tech is ready after recent tests, skepticism lingers.

Remote Learning Woes Resurface Again

The city’s shift to remote learning over snow days isn’t new—it started under former Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration scrapped weather-related days off. Now, with added holidays like Lunar New Year and Diwali squeezing the calendar, meeting the state’s 180-school-day mandate leaves little wiggle room. Mamdani hasn’t ruled out future snow days, but a representative warned an extra day off could disrupt end-of-year testing schedules.

Meanwhile, at a Hell’s Kitchen school, teachers are prepping for remote sessions, checking in with students at 9 a.m., and hosting Zoom classes until 1 p.m. If you’re a parent juggling work and tech support, that schedule sounds like a Monday morning headache. The city better hope the system doesn’t crash under the weight of a million logins.

Gov. Hochul isn’t mincing words about the storm’s potential impact, warning of paralyzing snow totals. “Up to a foot of snow downstate could be paralyzing in a dense area like New York City,” she said. Her concern is valid—NYC hasn’t seen a dump like this in years, and urban gridlock could turn deadly if roads aren’t cleared.

Governor Hochul Warns of Paralyzing Snow

Hochul, offering advice from her Buffalo roots, has been in touch with Mamdani to guide him through his first major blizzard. The gesture is nice, but let’s hope the mayor doesn’t need hand-holding to keep the city moving. New Yorkers aren’t known for patience when plows are late.

Mamdani himself seems confident, pushing a hazardous travel advisory for Sunday and Monday. He’s urging residents to stay off the roads and hunker down as snow begins falling late Saturday or early Sunday. But with forecasts so varied, waiting until Sunday noon for a school decision feels like playing chicken with a blizzard.

The mayor’s team is transforming thousands of sanitation trucks into a snow-fighting fleet, a move he claims will be the nation’s largest. That’s a bold promise, but if a foot of snow buries the city, we’ll see if the operation lives up to the billing. Anything less than clear streets will have taxpayers fuming.

Will City Deliver on Snow Removal?

Looking at the bigger picture, this storm tests whether progressive-led policies can handle hard realities like weather emergencies. While Mamdani’s focus on remote learning might aim to keep education on track, it risks alienating families already burned by tech glitches. Practicality should trump idealism when a blizzard hits.

Ultimately, New Yorkers just want safe streets and a functioning system, whether kids are in class or online. If the city pulls off a seamless response—great. If not, Monday’s storm could snowball into a political mess for this administration.