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Classes in New York City schools will meet as usual Wednesday, despite the approaching winter storm. Mayor Bill de Blasio says the era of snow days is over thanks to the arrival of remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Everyone will at least be expected to be in front of a computer screen on Thursday morning when the city is expected to be blanketed in snow.

What to know:

How much snow to expect
AccuWeather Forecast
Watches, warnings and advisories from the National Weather Service
Check here for school closings across the Tri-State area

WEDNESDAY

NYC public school buildings closed Thursday
Public school buildings will be closed in New York City Thursday, meaning in-person Learning Labs and Learning Bridges are also canceled along with in-school COVID-19 testing and free meal service. Instruction will continue remotely for all students.

Diocese of NY schools closed Thursday
All Catholic Elementary Schools in the Archdiocese of New York, will be closed Thursday, December 17, due to the snowstorm. Archdiocese High Schools operate independently, so high school families need to follow instructions from their individual schools.

"The health and safety of our teachers, staff and students are always the first thought that crosses our minds," Superintendent Michael Deegan said. "To that end, the Archdiocese will have a 'traditional snow day' tomorrow with no online instruction and all schools buildings closed. And please continue to take all COVID precautions, since COVID does not take a snow day or a holiday."

NYC Travel Advisory
A Travel Advisory in New York City starts this afternoon so please stay off the roads if you can. It will make it easier for our plows and salt spreaders to work.

Emergency declarations expected in Hudson Valley counties
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he anticipates declaring a state of emergency in Hudson Valley counties as of 6 p.m. Wednesday. The affected counties are expected to include Sullivan, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Tioga, Delaware, Broome, Greene and Columbia.

NJ declares state of emergency ahead of storm
Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency for New Jersey beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday. All state offices will be closed starting at 1 p.m. "This will be a statewide event," Murphy said, urging all residents to stay off roads unless absolutely necessary.

Long Island prepares roadways for major snowfall
Most of last season was a break from the snow, but Wednesday marks the big return of it for public works crews. Crews got started at 7 a.m., putting trucks on the roadways getting the streets prepared. In Nassau County, they have 87 plow trucks ready for the storm and they started loading thousands of tons of salt and sand on Tuesday. The fear is there could be whiteout conditions that could make it harder to plow.

Snow preps shut down outdoor dining in NYC
The Tri-State area is bracing for a major snowstorm Wednesday, and the New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert beginning at 2 p.m. that will put an end to outdoor dining in the city. It means restaurants that just lost their indoor dining capabilities will lose even more business for the duration of the snow alert. The city will notify restaurants when they can reopen roadway seating for outdoor dining.

TUESDAY

CT emergency operations to remain active; residents urged to avoid travel
Governor Ned Lamont announced that the State Emergency Operations Center, which is already activated in a virtual capacity for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will remain activated to monitor and respond to conditions resulting from the significant winter storm that is forecast to impact Connecticut beginning Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday. In addition, the governor is urging residents to avoid all unnecessary travel during the storm, as significant amounts of snowfall are anticipated to cause slick conditions on the roads. The current forecast is calling for parts of Connecticut to receive accumulations of more than a foot of snow and wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour along the coast.

Newark issues 'Code Blue' for incoming winter storm
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Department of Health and Community Wellness Director Dr. Mark Wade are activating a "Code Blue" for Wednesday December 16, to Friday, December 18. "Code Blue" is called when temperatures reach 25F, or lower without precipitation, 32F or lower with precipitation, or a wind chill factor of 0 or lower.

New Yorkers advised to leave cars at home, stay off the road ahead of storm
Mayor Bill de Blasio asked New Yorkers to leave their cars at home Wednesday and to take public transportation. He is concerned that there will be issues getting home in the evening or on Thursday morning.

Alternate Side Parking suspended next two days
NYC officials announced Alternate Side Parking will be suspended for Wednesday and Thursday. Parking meters will remain in effect.

NYC Test and Trace reduce hours
Please note that #NYCTestandTrace testing sites will have limited hours tomorrow and Thursday due to the impending winter storm.

Wednesday: All sites cease testing at 2 p.m.
Thursday: All sites resume testing at 12 p.m.

Plainfield Public Schools to close Wednesday, Thursday
Plainfield Public Schools in New Jersey announced they will be closing Wednesday and Thursday due to the impending inclement weather. However, students will continue attending school virtually on those days. All student transportation will be suspended for Wednesday and Thursday. Also, all Plainfield Board of Education employees will work virtually, with the exception of the buildings and grounds department.

NYC winter storm schools update
Mayor Bill de Blasio Tuesday confirmed New York City schools will be open for in-person learning Wednesday ahead of a major winter storm. As for Thursday, that is still to be determined.

Nassau County preps for winter storm
County Executive Laura Curran announced Tuesday that they should expect "blizzard-like conditions" Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Curran asked residents to leave early from work so roads can be cleared for the workers and to avoid traveling when the storm kicks up. She said the salt domes are full and trucks are out brining roads on Tuesday. The county has 21,400 tons of salt on-hand. Warming centers will be open from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Thursday -- all following COVID protocols. Warm beds will be open after 6 p.m., as well as emergency housing. Curran said she trusts school districts to make decisions on whether to open or not and will stand by to support if anything is needed. Also, the county is not requiring outdoor dining structures to be taken down, only if it becomes a hazard.

Stacey Sager reports on the snow storm preparations from Jericho.

Suffolk County preps for winter storm
Suffolk County officials said they are doing "all we need to be ready" for what they referred to as the "first pandemic snowstorm." County Executive Steve Bellone said the area will be taking a "real hit" from the major storm. Bellone said what makes the storm so concerning are the elements of heavy snow, sleet and high winds. He added the area hasn't seen this type of significant snow in quite sometime. Officials warned about potential power outages and messy conditions for drivers through the overnight hours on Wednesday. High military vehicles will be available and useful for heavy snow and flooding.

Outdoor dining in NYC must be shut down under Snow Alert
The New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert for Wednesday, beginning at 2 p.m., which will put an end to outdoor dining in the city. At this time, the city is not asking that restaurants remove any barriers or structures for roadway dining.

How much snow to expect
Snow totals of 6"-10" are possible along the I-95 corridor including New York City, with potentially higher amounts north and west where the snow will be fluffier due to colder temperatures.
Any deviation in the storm track could cause some mixing issues south and east of the city, possibly holding down totals there.

Winter Storm Watch issued
An early winter storm could dump more than a foot of snow across parts of the Tri-State area on Wednesday into Thursday, according to the AccuWeather forecast. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the entire New York City and Tri-State area starting Wednesday.