New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, newly inaugurated, has faced backlash for refusing to declare a snow day during a severe winter storm.
The mayor announced that students will either attend online learning or return to in-person school Monday, with no traditional snow day granted. “It’s not going to be a traditional snow day. That is a determination we’ve made,” Mamdani stated Friday.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul had declared a state of emergency for the entire state on Friday, but Mayor Mamdani maintained that students would have no free day from school.
Forecasters predict up to 18 inches of snow and very cold temperatures across the city through the weekend. The mayor added: “Either late tomorrow evening or early Sunday morning, we are going to see snow start to begin to fall across our city.”
Online critics have expressed disappointment with the decision, noting that students do not learn as much during virtual instruction and that snow days are a cherished American tradition.
