NYC Schools To Open Thursday After Snowstorm

NEW YORK, NY — New York City public schools will open normally Thursday after the nor'easter snowstorm finishes slamming the five boroughs. The Department of Education announced its decision as the heaviest snow blanketed the city during the Wednesday evening rush hour.

Field trips, after-school programs and other activities will also continue as planned, the DOE said.

Up to a foot of snow is expected to hit the ground by the time the storm tapers off Wednesday night, city officials have said. The city expects to have roads clear in time for students to make their way to class Thursday morning, said Eric Phillips, Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary.

"Looks nasty out there right now, but we've got a lot of time to make sure the roads are safe for the morning commute," Phillips said on Twitter Wednesday evening.

Sunny skies and a high near 44 degress are expected Thursday, the day after the city's second major snowstorm in a week. The DOE said it will "closely monitor the weather" and update parents as needed.

The city kept schools open Wednesday as the storm bore down on the Northeast U.S., though the worst of it didn't arrive until the mid-afternoon. De Blasio on Wednesday said closing school creates "a lot of challenges" for parents who have to work.

But that didn't stop more than 167,000 people from signing a petition begging the mayor to cancel school Wednesday. The online petition continued to gather signatures well after the school day ended.

(Lead image: A school bus travels on snow-covered streets in Brooklyn in January 2014. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)