New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani thought he was playing it safe. Instead, he gave the internet exactly what it loves most: a very wide range and plenty of room to joke.
“NYC is forecasted to get 3–16 inches of snow this weekend. And we’re ready,” Mamdani posted on X on Thursday afternoon, as Winter Storm Fern began closing in on the region, per city alerts shared by his office.
The post was meant to signal readiness. Outreach workers would ramp up efforts to move unhoused New Yorkers into shelter under a planned Code Blue, according to city officials. Highways and major streets would be pre-treated with brine, and sanitation crews would be on standby around the clock, Mamdani added.
NYC is forecasted to get 3–16 inches of snow this weekend. And we’re ready.
We’ll issue a Code Blue later today, and outreach workers will ramp up efforts to connect unhoused New Yorkers to safe shelter.
Tomorrow, we’ll begin pre-snow treatment, brining highways and major…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 22, 2026
But the numbers did the talking. Almost immediately, New Yorkers zeroed in on the “3–16 inches” spread — a range so broad it felt, to many, less like a forecast and more like a shrug.
“3–16, way to narrow it down,” one user joked, in a reply that quickly gained traction, according to reactions reviewed by the New York Post.
Another wrote that the range “tells you absolutely nothing,” while others suggested City Hall might have forgotten a digit entirely. WWE memes followed soon after, including a widely shared clip of Stone Cold Steve Austin celebrating — repurposed to mock the forecast’s anything-goes vibe, per viral posts circulating on X.
Stone Cold snowstorms. pic.twitter.com/7E2zXbOxkv
— ramenjeezus (@r4m3nj33zu5) January 23, 2026
The jokes landed because New Yorkers have long memories when it comes to snow and City Hall.
Past mayors have paid political prices for underestimating winter storms, from delayed plowing to citywide gridlock. Mamdani’s wide estimate appeared designed to avoid that trap — a hedge against being accused later of downplaying the storm.
New York City was already under a winter storm watch when Mamdani posted, with estimates calling for roughly 6–12 inches. AccuWeather projected 4–8 inches, while The Weather Channel warned totals could reach as high as 18 inches, depending on how the storm tracks.
— vin (@hey_vin) January 23, 2026
In that context, Mamdani’s range wasn’t wrong. It was just… expansive.
City officials defended the message as cautious planning, not confusion. “There’s a range of snow we can see in the city,” Mamdani later told The Weather Channel, saying the goal was to prepare for every possible outcome.
The administration also emphasized the seriousness of the response. A Code Blue would loosen shelter capacity rules overnight, while outreach teams were dispatched to prevent people from sleeping outdoors as temperatures dropped, according to city guidance.
3-16 inches is crazy…
**glass shatters** pic.twitter.com/eNIUvB4kQ0
— Divine 〽️achine (@Divine_machine) January 23, 2026
Still, the internet wasn’t interested in nuance. For many New Yorkers, the forecast became less about inches of snow and more about the shared experience of bracing for winter — and laughing through it. Memes multiplied faster than Donald Trump could impose new tariffs, turning a standard city update into a moment of collective comic relief.
Winter Storm Fern is expected to arrive early Sunday and linger into Monday, with forecasters warning against unnecessary travel. If snowfall reaches the upper end of projections, it could mark the city’s heaviest storm since February 2021.
Until then, the only thing piling up faster than snow predictions is the meme count. And in New York, that might be the most reliable forecast of all.
