Winter storm pulls away after dumping heavy snow; frigid air won't budge | Live updates

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency for New York during a storm briefing on Friday morning.

The governor said all state employees will be working from home on Monday.

She said her State of Emergency will also allow the state to plow the streets of New York City.

Hochul said she spoke to Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday morning ahead of his own storm briefing.

"I let him know we have a governor from Buffalo. If he wants any tips, I will give him some of them, and he is ready to go," Hochul said.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined city officials, including Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, for a 9:30 a.m. weather briefing at the city's Emergency Management headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn.

They announced schools will either be in session in-person on Monday or remote learning.

There will not be a traditional snow day, Mayor Mamdani said.

There will be no traditional snow day for New York City Public School students, Mayor Mamdani says, but the decision on in-person learning or remote has yet to be decided.

Mamdani promised to make the decision on whether schools will be open by noon Sunday.

Public school students will be sent home today with equipment and instruction for virtual learning, in case it is needed on Monday.

Principals are being told to make sure students have tablets or laptops to be able to participate remotely from home if school buildings are closed.

Eyewitness News meteorologists have an updated map of potential snowfall totals in the New York City metropolitan area.

On Sunday, snow arrives by mid-morning with the brunt falling midday. Some sleet/freezing rain could mix in after the initial round, adding ice on top of snow. We're still anticipating 6"-12" with 12"+ north and west of the city. There's a Winter Storm Watch for all of the tri-state. Highs on Sunday only reach the lower 20s.

On Monday, light snow could linger in the early morning, but the rest of the day is dry and bitterly cold with a high of only 20s.

The FDNY urges New Yorkers to follow safety tips for this weekend's winter storm:

Use space heaters safely, by placing them on a flat surface at least three feet away from anything that can burn. Always turn them off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
Plug heaters directly into an outlet and never use extension cords or damaged cords with space heaters.
Never use ovens or gas ranges to heat your home. This can cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, which can lead to serious illness or death.
Check on neighbors during extreme cold, especially older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions.
Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Test them at least once a month to make sure they're working.
Prepare for winter emergencies and stock up on essentials such as flashlights, batteries, nonperishable food, and bottled water. Create a family emergency plan so everyone knows what to do during a fire or severe winter storm.
Shovel a path to hydrants and entryways so they are visible to the FDNY in case of emergency. Any delay in fire companies locating hydrants and getting water on a fire endangers the lives of Firefighters AND civilians.