The mayor defended his administration’s snow response amid the winter storm. Roker hits de Blasio on NWS remarks

Al Roker: politician fact-checker?

The NBC meteorologist and “Today” show host took New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to task on Thursday for criticizing the National Weather Service, tweeting that the mayor’s “poor policy” was to blame for the city’s snow response.

Advertisement @NYCMayorsOffice says snow was faster/heavier than expected. No, Mr. Mayor. It came as predicted. Don't blame weather for YOUR poor policy — Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014

Roker was responding to a press conference de Blasio held Thursday morning into the afternoon defending his administration’s snow response amid the winter storm snarling much of the East Coast. He was tweeting while the press conference was happening, and de Blasio was asked about his criticism.

( WATCH: Mayor Bill de Blasio’s snow shoveling tips)

“I respect Al Roker a lot, watched him on TV for many, many years, it’s a different thing to run a city than to give the weather on TV,” de Blasio said, saying he had just spoken with the National Weather Service. “I respect all the meteorologists out there, but the one I respect the most is called the National Weather Service, and this did, and they just affirmed to us on the call before we came out to you, that this went faster and heavier than their projections last night.”

Roker followed up that de Blasio was throwing the Weather Service “under the school bus.”

How dare @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools throw NWS under the school bus. Forecast was on time and on the money — Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014

Roker was especially critical of the mayor’s decision to keep schools open, complaining about his daughter’s school going to an early release day.

I knew this am @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools would close schools. Talk about a bad prediction. Long range DiBlasio forecast: 1 term — Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014

Mr. Mayor, I could never run NYC, but I know when it's time to keep kids home from school — Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014

The comments created a stir on Twitter, with Roker’s co-host Willie Geist setting the scene.

Thought @AlRoker was texting his wife at dinner in Sochi. Nope, "chatting" with the mayor of New York City. pic.twitter.com/wGDB3U00NS — Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) February 13, 2014

It isn’t the first time this winter Roker has slammed public officials. After a winter storm immobilized Atlanta late last month, stranding thousands of motorists for, in some cases, nearly a full day, Roker criticized the mayor of Atlanta and the Georgia governor on the “Today” show, saying they had ample warning of the storm and the failures were “poor planning on the mayor’s part and the governor’s part, pure and simple.”

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He defended his comments on Twitter, saying politicians should have done more to prevent the situation.

@KasimReed not the only one responsible. School districts, other mayors too. @GovernorDeal ultimately should have ordered highways closed — Al Roker (@alroker) January 30, 2014

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