NYC public schools will be closed on Wednesday due to the major snowstorm expected to blanket the region overnight. Mayor Michael Bloomberg will make the early announcement during a 1 p.m. news conference.

Department of Education officials say that while travel conditions may not be difficult Wednesday morning, they are expected to worsen during the day.

According to the New York Archdiocese, Catholic schools in the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan will be closed.

And, the Brooklyn Diocese says elementary and academic schools will be closed tomorrow for the storm. Catholic high schools in the diocese will make there own decision regarding if they will be closed or not.

In addition, all campuses of the Montessori School of New York will be closed.

City and state agencies are gearing up to tackle the snow tomorrow.

The Sanitation Department has 365 salt spreaders, 1,600 plows, and over 100,000 tons of salt standing by to take on the blanket of white.

Also preparing for the winter blast is the Port Authority’s arsenal, which will take care of airports, highways, bridges and tunnels. The PA says their multi-use units at area airports can plow, brush and blow snow at 35 miles per hour. Melters at the ready can liquefy up to 500 tons of snow an hour.

Commuters might have a rough time with above ground subways lines and Long Island Rail Road trains. Check mta.info for schedules and information on service disruptions and make sure to leave extra time for travel.

New Yorkers are urged to call 311 to report any snow emergencies or to get help shoveling snow after the storm.

Due to the severe weather set to hit the East Coast, JetBlue, US Airways, and Continental have relaxed their ticketing policies.

JetBlue is allowing customers the option to voluntarily rebook their travel without incurring change fees or fare differences. Additionally, customers on cancelled flights should call 1-800-JETBLUE to discuss re-accommodation options.

Customers traveling February 9 through February 10, 2010 may move to a new flight between the same cities, that departs anytime between now and February 16, 2010. Original travel must have been booked on or before February 7, 2010. Changes must be made prior to your originally scheduled departure.

US Airways says it will waive the standard change fee, advance reservation and ticketing requirements for customers with travel to, from or through many cities on the East Coast. Travelers can apply the full value of their unused tickets toward the purchase of a ticket to an alternate destination, although travel must originate within seven days of the scheduled origination date. Call 800-428-4322 for more information.

And Continental is providing travelers the option to re-schedule or re-route, without penalty, if they are ticketed to/from one of the involved cities. Call Continental Airlines reservations at 800-525-0280 for more information.

Continental cities affected:

Cleveland, OH (CLE); Newark, NJ (EWR – Liberty); Baltimore, MD (BWI); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Columbus, OH (CMH); Charleston, WV (CRW); Cincinnati, OH (CVG); Dayton, OH (DAY);Washington, DC (DCA – National); Detroit, MI (DTW); Grand Rapids, MI (GRR); Greensboro, NC (GSO); Washington, DC (IAD – Dulles); Indianapolis, IN (IND); Milwaukee, WI (MKE); New York, NY (LGA – LaGuardia); Chicago, IL (ORD); Pittsburgh, PA (PIT); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Richmond, VA (RIC); Raleigh/Durham, NC (RDU); Norfolk, VA (ORF)

US Airways cities affected:

Washington, DC (Reagan) ; Washington, DC (Dulles) ; Baltimore, MD ; Salisbury, MD ; Newark, NJ ; Islip, NY ; New York, NY (JFK) ; New York, NY (Laguardia) ; Newburgh, NY ; White Plains, NY ; Asheville, NC ; Charlotte, NC ; Fayetteville, NC ; Greensboro, NC ; Greenville, NC ; Jacksonville, NC ; New Bern, NC ; Raleigh/Durham, NC ; Wilmington, NC ; Philadelphia, PA ; Charlottesville, VA ; Lynchburg, VA ; Newport News, VA ; Norfolk, VA ; Richmond, VA ; Roanoke, VA

(Source: NY1 / WCBSTV)