New York City public schools will be closed Thursday due to the snowstorm, the mayor's office confirmed Wednesday night.
The last time public schools were closed was March 13 of last year.
City University of New York (CUNY) colleges will be closed Thursday as well. In addition, New York University, including The New School, will be closed Thursday, along with Fordham University.
Berkeley College's Brooklyn, New York City, and White Plains campuses will be closed Thursday, while the New Jersey campuses will be on their regular schedule.
Contact your school to find the latest information.
The first Snow Alert of the year went into effect Wednesday night as a powerful nor'easter is intensifying off the East Coast and is slated to create a messy Thursday morning commute.
The storm is expected to drop 4-7 inches of snow on the city. Much of Manhattan is projected to see 4-6 inches of snow, while most parts of Brooklyn and Queens will see 5-8 inches.
Staten Island will receive 3-6 inches of snow, according to Wednesday night projections. A blizzard warning is in effect for the eastern part of Long Island.
A Winter Storm Warning is slated to go in effect 1 a.m. Thursday for the five boroughs and will last until midnight Friday.
The snow is projected to begin falling after midnight Thursday. As the storm ramps up, winds will strengthen, causing limited visibilities across the five boroughs.
The city is projected to see the worst snowfall impacts from the nor'easter starting at 8 a.m. Thursday before conditions ease in the afternoon.
Gusty winds will continue Thursday night as the storm pulls away towards New England. Those winds could cause more blowing and drifting of the fresh snow.
New Yorkers will have to contend with icy spots from leftover snow, as temperatures will remain below freezing. High temperatures are expected to top out mainly in the teens and 20s, with overnight temperatures falling into the single-digits at times and wind chills dropping even lower.
The wind chills Friday night and Saturday night could be as low as -10 to -15 degrees, as wind gusts will be, at times, 30 to 40 miles per hour.
The city's Office of Emergency Management and Transportation Department will work hand-in-hand in the cleanup.
Salt spreaders will be sent out as soon as the snow sticks to the pavement.
New Yorkers are urged to be careful when walking outside or traveling, and to give themselves extra time for their morning commute.
The city transportation department has suspended alternate side parking rules for Thursday. Meters will remain in effect.
The strongest of the storm is expected to stay over the Atlantic Ocean. By Thursday night, the storm will move away from the city but pull in the arctic winds. High temperatures will be in the teens Friday and Saturday.
Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing next week, with a chance of rain and snow.
Monday was the city's coldest New Year's Day on-record, with temperatures maxing out at 1 degree and wind chills in the negatives.
The nor'easter brought snow as far south as northern Florida on Wednesday, and will create blizzard conditions over portions of New England.
New York is also not the only area that has faced a deep freeze. The cold snap is wreaking havoc across a wide swath of the United States, from South Texas to New England, and even froze the Chicago River.
The dangerously-low temperatures are being blamed for at least nine deaths.
The cold temperatures even forced Disney to close its water parks Tuesday. In Houston, meanwhile, ice formed on bridges and overpasses, leading to multiple crashes on some of the area's major highways.