New York City public school students will be trudging through about eight inches of snow to get to school today, but hopefully will not encounter any serious public transportation delays getting there as most service is running on or close to normal at this hour.
About five to nine inches has fallen across the five boroughs, with no more accumulation expected.
While the snow has ended, the frigid temperatures will continue throughout the day, making roads icy and more difficult to shovel later in the day.
Bronx has seen the highest accumulation so far, with a little more than nine inches reported in Bedford Park. In Brooklyn Heights, eight inches have been measured. A total of 9.1 inches has fallen in Central Park and a little under six inches has fallen by John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens. In Eltingville, Staten Island, eight inches of snow has been measured.
Schools Chancellor Cathie Black announced just after 5 a.m. that New York City public schools are open today. All field trips have been cancelled. A decision about after-school programs and PSAL events will be made at 10 a.m.
Education officials say the decision was made after an early-morning conference call with representatives from the Department of Sanitation, Office of Emergency Management, Deputy Mayors Stephen Goldsmith and Denis Walcott, Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm and others about the road and travel condition.
A handful of private and parochial schools are closed. That list can be found below.
Public schools have only been closed six times since 1978.
