Al Roker blasts NYC mayor for keeping schools open in storm

Al Roker is not too thrilled with Bill de Blasio.

Roker took the NYC mayor to task on Twitter Thursday over his controversial decision to keep city schools open during the nor'easter that has blanketed the five boroughs with heavy snow and ice.

The 59-year-old weather anchor, who is at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, with the "Today" show, blasted de Blasio and New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina in a flurry of furious tweets.

"Snow policy is ridiculous," Roker tweeted. "Tell people to stay off the roads. Stay home. But send your kids/teachers/staff in?"

The mayor and school chief defended their decision to keep schools open, saying the National Weather Service forecast had called for lighter snow.

"[De Blasio] says snow was faster/heavier than expected," Roker tweeted. "No, Mr. Mayor. It came as predicted. Don't blame weather for YOUR poor policy."

"How dare @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools throw [the National Weather Service] under the school bus," Roker raged. "Forecast was on time and on the money."

Roker joined a chorus of critics — students, teachers and elected officials — slamming de Blasio's decision.

“I understand the desire to keep schools open," Michael Mulgrew, president of the city's teachers union, said in a statement. "The only thing that trumps that is safety. Having students, parents and staff traveling in these conditions was unwarranted. It was a mistake to open schools today."

Staten Island Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis had a similar take. “The City of New York got it wrong today. ... Keeping schools open and expecting children to travel through heavy snow, sleet and ice at the same time the city is urging residents to stay off the road is nonsensical.”

Roker, whose daughter is a student at a New York City public school, also raised the issue of safety. “It’s going to take some kid or kids getting hurt before this goofball policy gets changed,” he continued in the tweet dialogue.

At his daily press briefing Thursday afternoon, de Blasio responded to Roker's rant.

“I respect Al Roker a lot," the mayor said. "Watched him on TV for many, many years. It’s a different thing to run a city than to give the weather on TV. So I am comfortable with our decision-making.”

Roker's reply: "Mr. Mayor, I could never run NYC, but I know when it's time to keep kids home from school."

Watch Al Roker and Matt Lauer take a Russian-style bath in Sochi: