You are reading

City Braces for 18 Inches of Snow, Closes School Buildings and Postpones Vaccination Appointments

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces storm cancellations Photo: @nycmayor

Jan. 31, 2021 By Christina Santucci

New York City school buildings will be closed Monday and coronavirus vaccine appointments are being postponed–as the city braces for a winter storm that could dump more than a foot of snow, the mayor announced Sunday morning.

In addition, outdoor dining has been cancelled for Monday, and alternate side parking in the city is suspended for Monday and Tuesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from 7 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Tuesday for the city and surrounding areas, projecting heavy snow and accumulations of 14 to 18 inches and wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.

Learning will switch to remote classes at city schools Monday, the mayor said. There has been no announcement made about classes on Tuesday yet, but de Blasio said he expected to make a decision soon.

The vaccine sites will be closed Monday and appointments will be will be rescheduled, the mayor said.

“Travel conditions are going to be extremely dangerous if not impossible,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said.

NYC Department of Sanitation Chief Edward Grayson said New Yorkers should be prepared to not see the blacktop right away, but his department will be working hard to remove the snow.

“We will be poised and ready to move at the first flake,” Grayson said. Plows can be tracked online through the city’s PlowTracker site.

A worker shovels snow outside on Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City on Dec. 17, 2020 (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Superstorm Sandy-damaged home in Neponsit will finally be demolished after city finds it structurally unstable

Nearly 13 years after Superstorm Sandy crashed into the Rockaways, damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 homes and businesses along the 11-mile peninsula, a Neponsit house will be demolished by the city.

Council Member Joann Ariola has been working with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to deal with the blighted property at 148-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd. and received an important update on the project late last month.

Pheffer Amato reminds constituent families of free meals, distraction-free learning policies for new school year

As students head back to school, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato is reminding families in her district of two major changes: every child will be eligible for free school meals, and mobile phones and smart devices will no longer be allowed during the school day.

The implementation of universal free meals for all schools, including nonpublic and charter schools, has been a focus for Pheffer Amato for years. During the 2025 New York State budget, she worked on the issue to ensure the state would give every school district, including New York City, the resources to make universal free meals a reality. Now, free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all school-aged children at all schools participating in the national school lunch and breakfast program, guaranteeing that every child will be eligible for health and nutritious meals.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.