NYC Mayor And Schools Chancellor Blasted For Keeping Schools Open During Snow Storm

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña came under fire for their decision to keep public schools open amid a heavy snow storm Thursday morning.

During a press conference updating New Yorkers on the city's response, Fariña went as far as to say "it is absolutely a beautiful day out there right now."

The remark prompted raised eyebrows, with many urging de Blasio to take responsibility for what they believed was a poor judgment call. "Today Show" host Al Roker took to Twitter to chide officials:

De Blasio addressed the criticism during the update, saying it's a "different thing to run the city than to give the weather on TV."

The city announced the decision to keep schools open late Wednesday evening.

The city's teachers union was also among the mayor's critics.

"I understand the desire to keep schools open. The only thing that trumps that is safety," United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said in a statement. "Having students, parents and staff traveling in these conditions was unwarranted. It was a mistake to open schools today."