NYC public schools will be closed Wednesday

NEW YORK -- The New York City public schools will be closed on Wednesday because of the predicted snowstorm.

The Department of Education said after-school activities also are canceled Wednesday.

The department said it made the decision on Tuesday so that parents could have as much time as possible to make alternative plans.

There are about 1.1 million students in the public school system. Snow days are rare. The last two were on March 2, 2009 and Jan. 28, 2004.

Powerful winds are expected during the storm. Forecasts call for about 8 to 13 inches of snow across the New York metropolitan region.

What about weather in the Capital Region? Check out the forecast here.