Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Good morning, New York City. This is the calm before the storm. Either late tomorrow evening or early Sunday morning, we are going to see snow start to begin to fall across our city. It will fall and fall and then fall some more. And the forecasts don't always get it right, but what is being predicted right now, whether it's a foot of snow or even a little bit more, would be one of the biggest snowfalls that our city has seen in years. We haven't seen a foot of snowfall in quick succession since nearly five years ago.
This weekend is going to be cold. It is going to be windy. And above all else, it is going to be a weekend where your city is prepared. Across every single level of government, we are working together to ensure that our streets are being kept clear, that New Yorkers are safeguarded, and that the most vulnerable among us are being connected with shelter. At 6 a.m. this morning, the Sanitation Department began brining our highways and major roadways. And for those unfamiliar, brining is a process where a salt and water solution is sprayed, making it much harder for snow to stick and for ice to form.
Tomorrow as the storm nears, we're going to see thousands of DSNY collection trucks and agency partners transformed into the nation's largest snow fighting operation. This is an operation that I trust with every ounce of my being and being the ones that will deliver [for] us the exact kind of city response we need to see this weekend. We are going to see more than 2,000 of those sanitation workers begin 12-hour shifts starting tomorrow evening. They will salt as soon as we see the first snowflakes hit the ground with 700 salt spreaders.
And then as soon as we see two inches of snow accumulate, we're going to see 2,200 plows activate across the city. That, by the way, is likely to occur Sunday morning. And all of this is going to be overseen internally by DSNY's BladeRunner 2.0 system, which monitors plowing and salting in real time to ensure that every community, every neighborhood, [and] every part of New York City will be met with the services of this City government.
Now this is a storm that will also bring with it significant amounts of precipitation. It will carry a cold front as well. And that is why we have enacted a Code Blue now in effect, which has been in effect since last night. This means that homeless services outreach workers have been and will continue to canvas the five boroughs so that we are connecting homeless New Yorkers with shelter and bringing them out of the cold. DHS is going to be bypassing the intake operation procedures just to ensure that we are getting people into these shelters as quickly as possible. No one is going to be denied across the city.
And finally, while we are still waiting to make a final decision on whether school will be in-person or virtual, we will communicate that decision to families by noon on Sunday. That is going to be a decision between in-person learning and remote learning. I have to apologize to the students that were hoping for a different answer. For a traditional snow day, that will not be the case. We will also be canceling PSAL activities on Sunday.
Throughout every step of this storm, the City government is going to communicate directly to you as New Yorkers. I encourage every New Yorker to join the more than a million who have already signed up for NotifyNYC. You can do that by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692. We will be sending you texts, updates, and alerts. And we will also regularly brief New Yorkers over the course of this weekend.
And finally, I want to encourage New Yorkers to do their part to stay safe this weekend. That is why we are issuing a hazardous travel advisory for Sunday and for Monday. So, if you need groceries, if you need a new winter coat, if you need anything, frankly, that you are thinking about for this weekend, today is the day to make that trip. Because once the snow begins to fall, I want to encourage New Yorkers to do something that we don't often have the luxury of doing, which is to take a breath and stay home.
Stay indoors, stay off the roads, watch the snow come down, watch the worst possible reality TV show you can find, and take some time away from the roads. Because while this is going to be a big storm, these are the kinds of challenges that New Yorkers and the hard-working men and women of [the] New York City government overcome all the time. And it's a moment that this city is prepared to meet.
So, I ask once again to stay out of the elements and to know that the people alongside me and the hard-working men and women who are already hard at work across this city will be the ones to ensure that this is a storm that meets its match in this city. Thank you, and I'm now going to pass it over to our MTA CEO, Janno Lieber.
Janno Lieber, CEO and Chair, MTA: Thank you, mayor. I know some of us who dread reality TV are glad to know there's also football if it comes to that. But thank you for your leadership, and I've been in touch with Governor Hochul this morning. She's declared a statewide state of emergency. Obviously, the principal impacts of this pending storm are likely to be downstate, but she asked me to underscore [that] the MTA will be operational this weekend.
We have detailed plans in place for storms like this to protect the network, to protect our riders, and to protect our employees. We pre-positioned a ton of equipment and personnel. I want to thank our workforce in advance. I know there are many city agencies that are going to be working 24/7, but the MTA workforce is always standing by and ready to deliver. We have 220 miles of subway that is out of doors. I won't specify the lines. New Yorkers know what they are.
We'll be focused on making sure that those continue to be operational with our snow fighting trains, with the de-icing systems. We'll have tow trucks ready for wherever they are needed. And the same goes for the commuter railroads. But in any case, the bus network is ready to pick up the slack, as it always does in these situations. In these major storms, we have 35 snow fighting vehicles that can rapidly clear block streets, and all the buses will be fitted with trains.
Articulated buses, those longer buses, will be taken out of service for safety reasons. But otherwise, the entire bus fleet will be in action. Bridges and tunnels. We've got over 9,000 tons of roadway deicer and over 100 pieces of equipment at the ready. The bottom line, New Yorkers, is this [not] our first rodeo at the MTA. We have handled big storms. New Yorkers have handled big storms, and we're ready to do this again this weekend. Stay [home].
The mayor mentioned the New York City app and alerts to stay in touch with. We also have the same with the MTA. So pay attention to the MTA app, to the train time app, social media, digital screens in the stations will have updated information, and we have an MTA service alert system, which can send you real-time personalized info.
Get on the MTA website, sign up for that, so you'll know how your part of the MTA system is working as we go through this storm. Thank you mayor, and thank you governor, for your leadership as well.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you. And I'm now going to call up Chancellor Kamar Samuels.
Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels, New York City Public Schools: What an exciting first month on the job. But even though this is a new role for me, as a teacher, principal, superintendent, it was always my delight to make sure we were making the best decisions on behalf of our young people. And this is no different. Over the past several days, teams across our system and city agencies have been working around the clock to monitor the weather, assess our options, and plan for every possible scenario.
By the latest, noon on Sunday afternoon, we will announce whether schools will be, yes, either pivoting to remote or open for instruction. In either case, learning will continue in an environment the city deems safe. We know that families need timely, clear information to plan their schedules.
And we are committed to getting you those updates as quickly as possible. As a teacher, principal, superintendent, and now chancellor, I've seen many, many corners of this extraordinary system. I want to personally thank educators, custodian teams, food service workers, nurses, support staff, bus drivers, superintendents, and so many others of our hard-working, dedicated staff each day. Please note that these decisions are managed with great, great care and attention to detail, with our families' safety as a top priority. In the meantime, we encourage all our families, yes, to use NotifyNYC, as well as look out for GAMA messages from New York City Public Schools.
Now, I do want to announce, a follow-up to the mayor, that PSAL activities are canceled for Sunday. We also have other extended use permits that will be canceled for Sunday, as well as any Sunday academies. So I want to thank you all for your timely responses and encouragement, and say, we are ready for whatever eventuality there is.
Question: And for the chancellor, the last time that schools went full remote, it was a disaster. For lack of a better term. I've spoken to parents and teachers. The only guidance they've received is [to] bring your devices home, and will let you know by noon Sunday what's going to happen. What have you and the city schools done to prepare both students, teachers, and administrators to ensure that Monday isn't a disaster for the successful remote school day?
Mayor Mamdani: I think the first thing is preparing in advance. And I think one of the issues that many students, teachers, and parents faced last time around was the inability for the system to handle the amount of people who were logging on all at once. And so I've been heartened by the work that our incredible chancellor and all those at the DOE have done to stress test the system in advance.
So yes, on Sunday, by 12 p.m., we will let parents, teachers, and students know whether the day will be in-person or remote, but we are preparing for the possibility of [being] remote [so] that we do not repeat those mistakes of the past. Chancellor, if you want to add anything.
Chancellor Samuels: So, I was a superintendent [on] the day you're talking about, that day will live in infamy. I will say that very clearly, we have prepared in numerous ways for what might be a pivot to remote for next week. And we've stress-tested the system both in-person with students logging in, and as well, we've had simulations. So, we are prepared now, and we've increased the capacity to make sure that we can house as many students as possible on that day.
So, we now have the capacity of having a million students logging at the same time within 60 seconds. We now have that. And secondly, we've also talked to parents and families about logging in early on Sunday so you can get prepared and used to the system, and then also having a staggered schedule on Monday to make absolutely sure that we are prepared and have the capacity. So, I'm very, very confident, after having worked with so many of our partners, to make sure that this is going to be successful in the log-in process.
Question: When was the last time you tested this?
Chancellor Samuels: [The] most recent test was in December.
Question: Question about the weather for both the mayor and maybe Commissioner Iscol can weigh in on this as well. What concerns you the most about this storm now that we've seen there is sleet, possibly freezing rain, icing, and extreme cold involved in it? What are you most worried about when it comes to this storm?
Mayor Mamdani: I think the thing that would worry me is if we find New Yorkers going about their lives as if there was no storm. And we want to encourage everyone to stay home. We want to encourage everyone that if there's a trip you need to take, if there's a person you need to see, do that today, do that tomorrow. But on Sunday, that is a day that we encourage everyone to stay home.
Now, we are preparing for a range of potential snowfall, right? We're seeing the estimates now around eight to nine inches, let's say, at the very least. It [could] climb up to potentially about a foot, if not a little bit more. What heartens me, frankly, is that in the work and in the meetings that I've been having with the incredible leadership that we have here, is the knowledge of what the hardworking men and women of City government are already doing.
So, I'll give you this example, brining the highways and major roadways. That's not just critical in preparing for the storm, but also in ensuring that once the storm has passed, that we can return back to the city as it was. This is when we're talking about the salting of the streets, when we're talking about the snow plow. I mean, the city has procured 700 million pounds of salt in advance of this storm to be prepared for this.
So, I feel quite confident in the abilities of those around me and in those who work for this city. And frankly, I'm thankful for their work because what we're talking about is work that began at 6 a.m. today. What we're talking about is work that's going to be 12-hour shifts. It's going to be around the clock from a number of different agencies. But commissioner, I don't know if you want to add anything.
Commissioner Zachary Iscol, New York City Emergency Management: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know, as the mayor was saying, I think a big concern is what people do with their time on Sunday. You know, it's not only important for their safety that they stay home. It also enables our sanitation workers and crews to do their work clearing roads. It's also really important that if there are emergency crews that need to move around the city, that they can do that easily.
And then I think [about] the other thing that we are keeping our eye on, and I say this to somebody who's- it's my job to really be concerned about everything, but we're keeping a very, very close eye on the forecast Sunday night to see how that develops. And we're still a little bit early out.
But as the mayor said, you know, it is really remarkable the amount of work that these city agencies do and these city workers going into an event like this days in advance. You think about all the sanitation crews, folks from the Department of Transportation, NYPD, FDNY. It really is remarkable. I think the big thing is we really need New Yorkers to do their part as well. And then watching that forecast overnight Sunday and seeing how that develops. Thank you.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: For city government workers, are they going to be encouraged to work remotely if they can and then have a [inaudible]?
Mayor Mamdani: So, we're gonna have all uniformed services to be working as normal, typically, which is in person on Monday. DCAS is going to be sending [an] advisory out to other city workers on Monday with agency-specific directives. And all of this, I think, comes back to something that the commissioner was also mentioning earlier as well as the chancellor.
This comes back to safety. And a lot of this depends on the amount of snowfall that we're going to see on Sunday. But as soon as we have a sense of what it will look like for Monday's conditions, that's the kind of guidance that's going to be given.
Question: Is that going to be encouraging people to work virtually?
Mayor Mamdani: DCAS is going to be sending those directives agency by agency, but when it comes to our uniformed services, they're going to be reporting in person.
Question: For the stress tests on the virtual school system, are you saying there's been no tests since December? And if so, why haven't there been more recent tests [inaudible]?
Chancellor Samuels: Yeah, so I think we have simulations that we're running all the time, and the stress tests have- the most recent ones have been in December.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: Do you know what a sneckdown is?
Mayor Mamdani: A sneckdown? To be honest with you, I don't know what a sneckdown is.
Question: So, when you have storms and [inaudible] it forms kind of a curve extension [inaudible]. And a lot of people say it's an opportunity [for] when you see these-
Mayor Mamdani: I know where you're going.
Question: [Inaudible] and obviously, there's a lot to do [inaudible]. Once it's done, is this something you're gonna maybe send people around to look at it. [Inaudible].
Mayor Mamdani: Well, I think this is something for us to follow up on. I think it is- we are always looking to meet the challenge of this moment and also looking to build out the city we deserve, in the medium and long-term. And I think that one part of your question is also about street safety. And I think that is a critical directive that we have for our DOT, is how do we make our streets the envy of the world. And I look forward to any of the medium and long-term lessons we can learn from this weekend about street design beyond just the question of [inaudible].
Question: As for yourself, where will you be on Sunday logistically? How will you be monitoring the storm and the city's response to it?
Mayor Mamdani: So I'm going to spend a portion of Sunday out with city workers to make sure that we are getting a full sense of both what is being done, but also communicating directly to New Yorkers. And I think this is just another opportunity to say that, you know, we are going to share this message, whether it's through the television channel that a New Yorker turns to, whether it's through the radio that they're listening to, but also we encourage everyone to sign up for Notify NYC.
We have about, I think it's 1.3, 1.4 million New Yorkers who are currently signed up. We want to get that number up. So everybody gets those updates. And then my job is to make clear that this is a city that's prepared, and then to keep in close contact with not only the leaders that you've already heard from, but also my deputy mayor, who is really not only running the entire operations, but is staying close at hand with any of the updates.
Question: You know, historically, mayors have been judged by how they handle snow. And I wonder if you've looked at the mistakes made by some of your predecessors, [have] you seen any pitfalls you'd like to avoid, and how it's going to affect how you handle the snowstorm, and how you want to be judged by New Yorkers afterwards.
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I think the-one of the key directives that I've both given myself, as well as the team around me, is that we will over-communicate with New Yorkers. We are going to tell you at every instance, when we have new information about the storm, what it is. So initially, I'll give you an example. The forecast said it could be as little as three inches of snow, it said it could be as much as 16 inches. Now we're seeing that forecast start to narrow a little bit.
Now we're seeing the minimum number closer to about eight or nine inches. We're seeing the maximum number still be a little over a foot. But we're going to get that message out there. Because I think that this is a time where we want to make sure that city workers have every ability they can to deliver on their job. And what makes it easier for them to do their job is the more New Yorkers that stay home.
We want to make sure, just one more point, Marcia. I'll give you an example. We have our fire commissioner here. One of the key points that was being shared with me and with other city workers is, how do we make sure that we do not have ambulances that are being prevented from being able to access New Yorkers or access the streets? How do we make sure that we're not facing another situation where there are preventable outcomes taking place? So that's what is at the basis of our communication. That's why I'm also trying to be everywhere as I can to keep that in mind.
Question: The follow-up question I have is this. In the past, since I've covered snowstorms, since the dinosaurs ran New York, there have been instances where ambulances couldn't get through, buses couldn't get through, streets were not plowed so that some streets like, for example, under de Blasio, some streets were plowed to the tar and then other places didn't get plowed at all. So do you have a plan to make sure that there's equal plowing in all five boroughs so that no community can say, you missed us?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes. We absolutely do. And that's part of the conversation we were just having. New Yorkers can actually stay up to date. I think it's with PlowNYC, which is the public-facing information portal around the plowing patterns across the city. Internally, we have something called BladeRunner 2.0. And this is to ensure that no New Yorker is made to feel that depending on the zip code or their neighborhood, they're going to receive a different level of service. You're going to receive the same level of service across the city.
And I think the other portion of this is we're talking about, with DSNY, the largest snow fighting operation in the entire country. We're talking about the transformation of collection trucks into ones that can both salt this city. We're talking about 700 of those trucks, and then we're talking about 2,200 plows. So all of this together, it's what gives me the confidence that we're going to see a city that will meet the moment, no matter if it's 8 inches of snow, 13 inches of snow.
I will say that one thing that a number of New Yorkers have shared with me is we seem to have large snowstorms every 10 years. It was '96. It was '06. It was '16. It's '26. So we're going to be ready.
Question: Just two questions. At what point do you declare a state of emergency because of the snow? Where are the markers for yourself and for the folks at the podium? Like, where do you - where is that point where you decide it's a state of emergency? And also, can you go into depth as to what the NYPD and what FDNY would also be doing at those times, and even like what 311 or 911 operations are going to be?
Mayor Mamdani: So I can just tell you briefly, and then I'll pass it over to Deputy Mayor Kerson. Just in advance of this weekend, we also know that [the] NYPD is going to be assisting with some of the traffic routing operations that we'll see across the city. Every single agency and department is going to be playing a role.
You know, for example, DSNY is taking the lead on the snow plowing, but that doesn't mean that the Parks Department is not also going to be assisting in some of that work. I'm going to pass it over to DM Kerson for some of the additional remarks.
Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson, Operations: Our emergency declarations largely allow for restricted traffic, so we'll be monitoring roadway conditions and then determining if those additional restrictions are necessary. We have those materials drafted and are ready to go if we start to see that those conditions warrant an emergency declaration.
Question: I wanted to ask you, you know, in response to Marcia's question, you know, previous mayors have underestimated how much snow we've gotten. And that has left them a little flat-fitted. Do you have a plan for if we get more than one foot or significantly more, do you have, I guess, teams that will be ready to go on top of whatever you have going on right now?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, and I can tell you that right now, we are preparing for every possible outcome. Just because we might want to see eight inches of snow does not mean we're not preparing for 16 inches of snow. And I think that's what gives me a real sense of confidence is that these are the incredible men and women who are leading so much of the work across the city so that no matter how much snow falls, it's a city that's ready.
And I think the other part of this is just to explain. [A] part of the reason why we're not making a determination until Sunday at 12 p.m. about whether school on Monday will be in-person or remote is precisely because of the range in forecast. We take it very seriously when we call for a remote school day because we know that it has an impact on parents' lives. So we want to both be respectful of their lives and give them enough time to make the plans if necessary for a change on Monday.
Question: I had a question about remote learning. Obviously, I can see the argument for not wanting to cancel school, that creates a need for childcare for thousands of kids. But if the kids are already at home, what is the benefit of forcing them to be on top of the environment for parents to oversee them? And do you need to just put a snow day as a life's rare joy?
Mayor Mamdani: I'm not going to contend that a snow day is not one of life's rare joys. I will tell you that growing up in the city, it was one of my favorite memories. To be very clear and direct with New Yorkers, we are also bound by state law that requires 180 days of instruction. And as previous administrations have added additional holidays into the school calendar, it leaves our school calendar without any flexibility for the potential of a lack of an educational day. So, if it is too much snow to call for students and educators to come to school, that's what also pushes us to require remote learning to take place from home.
Question: I want to follow up on that question. What is your opinion of remote learning? And were it not for the restrictions of the calendar, let's say you have the flexibility and you could have given kids a snow day, would you have? I guess I'm trying to ask, is it really the end of traditional snow days in New York, or can you see another time where, barring the school calendar, you would be willing to grant kids a day off?
Mayor Mamdani: I will not stand here and say that it's the end of anything. I will tell you that for Monday, however, these are the two options. And I think that there is, you know, we will operate under the constraints as we have from the state, but we are also in the knowledge that those are constraints that could change at some point in the future. I'll add, if the chancellor wants to add anything.
Chancellor Samuels: Well, you don't have to look too far to realize the mayor is a lot more fun than I am, right? And so, you know, for me, I think it's very, very clear that, you know, given the constraints that we have with the state and given the new life and the new era that we're in, there are benefits to remote learning. And I might offer that folks might begin to think about this as, you know, reimagining what the school, the snow day looks like.
No one is asking kids to be on a device for six hours and 20 minutes, right? And so we have to be flexible in our approach. Some learning will be synchronous. Some will be asynchronous. You can still have your hot chocolate. You can still go out and enjoy the snow. But we really want to make sure that, especially since the pandemic, our children have missed more school than they did before. And we want to make sure that instruction continues, even when it's disrupted by weather or attempted to be disrupted by weather patterns.
Question: I know Janno's not here, but I'm wondering, is there a certain amount of snow in which the MTA has told you that there will be significant delays? Is there a threshold [for] the amount of snow? Like, even just on weekdays?
Mayor Mamdani: What we've heard from the MTA is that they're prepared for any potential eventuality across the spectrum of snowfall that we've been briefed on. And I think that that is something that, whether it's the trains, whether it's the buses, we are talking about a system that can handle this and a system that is prepared.
Question: What does the capacity look like, given the Code Blue right now? I mean, are there enough spaces and shelters to safely house people who are going to be taken in from the cold? So what does that look like?
Mayor Mamdani: Absolutely. There is enough capacity for homeless New Yorkers. And I want to say thank you to the city workers at our Department of Homeless Services who have been doing the work of actively canvassing homeless New Yorkers wherever they may be across New York City to get them into, whether it's single unit beds or stabilization beds. And the most important thing is getting homeless New Yorkers off the streets, out of the cold, [and] into shelter.
And that's why, as we've been briefed, we are seeing DHS saying, you know, the standard operating procedures of intake and all the different forms and procedures we have to go through, those are being put aside for a moment of a Code Blue. Because right now, we're not just talking about snowfall. We're talking about [the] cold. And these are things that if left together without any kind of a city response, the consequences could be significant. And so what we want to do is keep every single New Yorker safe, [and] that includes homeless New Yorkers. Thank you for your question.
