Major Blizzard Has An Upside For Students As Tri-State Schools Cancel Classes

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Tri-State Area schoolchildren were guaranteed a snow day on Tuesday, with an added bonus of an early dismissal Monday afternoon.

As CBS2's Lou Young reported, some students in Westchester County headed home early Monday, in a light snowfall that was entirely incidental to the altered school schedule – just a slight prelude to the blizzard that could dump historic amounts of snow on the area.

"We expected this," said Mamaroneck School Supt. Dr. Robert Shaps. "This is just flurries and flakes, but we know the big stuff's coming."

"We received an e-mail last night that we'd be told this morning," said Mamaroneck resident Debbie Trapanier.

Parents got the word by robocall before dawn in most of the northern suburbs. A few districts even canceled school completely.

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In Mamaroneck, it was a quick three hours between dropoff and pickup at area schools. Parents were able to get the driving out of the way quickly.

"I feel like a chauffeur every day, so this is nothing new," said Larchmont resident Erin Fuller.

But the rest of the week remained an open question.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to stay home," said third grader Natlie Miles.

"I'll stay home and do my homework, and maybe play outside and have a snowball fight with (my sister) Angelina," said fourth grader Archer Pil.

Angelina Pil apparently crunched the numbers for the storm.

"It's a 79 percent chance of not having school on Wednesday and a 99 percent chance of not having school tomorrow," said Angelina, a sixth grader.

CBS2 was told those figures are not far off. A lot will depend on how well local jurisdictions will do clearing it away.

"If they really have about two feet of snow, they're going to have to clear all that up," said Purchase resident Christie Davidson.

But taking off from school does have an upside for some.

"School's stressful sometimes," said eighth grader Elysia Pil.

New York City schools are among those that will be closed on Tuesday. In the school system, the mayor said Regents exams are being canceled and will be rescheduled, and all after-school activities and programs scheduled for Monday were also canceled.