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City to Close Schools, Prepares for Blizzard

By DNAinfo Staff on February 9, 2010 8:06am  | Updated on February 9, 2010 6:46pm

Metro North Railroad and the Long Island Railroad anticipate delays in service during Wednesday's snow storm, but the specifics have not yet been announced.
Metro North Railroad and the Long Island Railroad anticipate delays in service during Wednesday's snow storm, but the specifics have not yet been announced.
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Flickr/KeithBarlow

By Mariel S. Clark

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — The city's public and Catholic schools will be closed Wednesday due to a blizzard that is expected to dump more than a foot of snow on Manhattan.

The borough won't dodge the winter-weather bullet twice in a week as the snowstorm moves into the area starting Tuesday night.

Chancellor Joel Klein said the city was declaring Wednesday a no-school day ahead of time to give parents enough notice to prepare.

"All after-school activities and PSAL events will also be cancelled," he said in a statement.

"While travel conditions to school in the morning may not be difficult, the weather is expected to worsen as the day progresses, complicating dismissal."

A winter storm will bring eight to 13 inches of snow to Manhattan on Wednesday.
A winter storm will bring eight to 13 inches of snow to Manhattan on Wednesday.
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Flickr/ ewanmcdowall

Catholic schools in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx will also be closed.

Alternate side parking rules are suspended for Wednesday but drivers will still have to feed the meter, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Bloomberg urged New Yorkers to use mass transit and stay off the streets.

"Don't drive in or into our city unless it's an emergency," he said.

"If you want to get stuck in big traffic jams and have a terrible ride home, take your car."

Area airports are prepping for the heavy snow even as flights into and out of the city are canceled in advance of the storm.

LaGuardia, JFK and Newark will have extra staff, snow removal equipment and supplies on hand.

"We've dealt with snow before it's part of what you do when running an airport in the northeast," a Port Authority spokesperson said.

The heavy snow combined with strong and gusty winds of 35 to 45 mph will cause near blizzard conditions on Wednesday, meteorologists said.

Temperatures will struggle to hit 30 degrees on Wednesday but with the wind will instead feel like the low teens.

The National Weather service has issued a winter storm warning for New York City effective Tuesday night at midnight through Thursday morning. A winter storm warning refers to heavy snowfall that will make travel and driving dangerous.

The snow is expected to move into the area Tuesday at midnight and continue throughout the day Wednesday before tapering off Wednesday night.