The NYC Department of Education has announced that all schools be open Thursday and that field trips are cancelled.
A message on the NYC DOE site reads:
All School Field Trips Are Cancelled
Due to anticipated inclement weather conditions, all school field trips will be cancelled tomorrow, Thursday, February 13, 2014. Schools will be open. Families with busing questions should contact the Office of Pupil Transportation at 718-392-8855. Parents, as always, should exercise their own judgment with regard to their children. Safety is a top priority for the Department.
Despite New York Governor Cuomo declaring a State of Emergency in New York City, de Blasio's decision to keep schools open on Thursday has been criticized as many found it difficult to travel in blizzard-like conditions and up to 12 inches of snow.
However, de Blasio defended his decision in a statement today: "Unlike some cities, we don't shut down in the face of adversity. I'm going to make decisions based on the information we have."
NYC School Chancellor Carmen Farina said: "The reality is that we make decisions based on what we know at the time. Because this storm was so unpredictable, and what we heard last night is not necessarily what we saw this morning." She also added that the snow stopped and that it has turned into "absolutely a beautiful day out there."
A state of emergency was declared by New York Governor Cuomo for the mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island regions.
"With this winter storm continuing to deliver snow, ice, and freezing rain across parts of the State, I am declaring a state of emergency in these regions so that we can continue to effectively respond to the storm and aid communities in need," Governor Cuomo said. "These regions are expected to continue to receive heavy snow that may accumulate at rates of around two to three inches per hour, which will make it difficult for plows to keep some roads clear. New Yorkers should stay off of the roads and remain in their homes until the worst of the storm has passed."
A winter storm watch has been in effect in NYC and Southern NY State from midnight Feb. 13 until 6 a.m. ET Friday.
The areas in effect are Hudson, Southern Westchester, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Kings, northern Queens, southern Queens.
Between 8 to 12 inches of snow fell by Thursday morning and more snow and rain is expected to fall throughout the day.
The latest snow storm is wreaking havoc across the east, forcing over 6,000 flight cancellations and 3,600 delays. Thousands of flights have been grounded across airports in NYC, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta and more as the storm continues to dump inches of snow.
Be sure to check Flightaware.com to check all national flight cancellations due to the storm.
A state of emergency has also been declared in the state of Georgia by Governor Nathan Deal. South Carolina governor Nikki Haley also declared a state of emergency, warning that no one should be on the roads during the storm. Due to inclement weather, schools in Georgia and South Carolina were closed Tuesday and Wednesday and remain closed until Thursday until further notice.
Earlier this year, Storm Hercules brought a blanket of thick snow to NYC, forcing all public schools to close down on Jan. 3, 2014. See a video of Winter Storm Hercules in Times Square below:
