New Yorkers scrambled Saturday to snap up last-minute essentials as arctic air gripped Gotham ahead of furious Winter Storm Fern, and the mayor warned everyone to just stay inside.

“If you can avoid it, do not drive. Do not travel. Do not do anything that could potentially place you or your loved ones in danger. Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on. Turn on the TV. Watch “Mission Impossible” for the 10th time. Above all, to stay inside,” Mayor Mamdani said before noon, as the temps hovered around just 13 degrees.

The mayor — who felt the heat for saying city school kids would not be getting a snow day, even as Winter Storm Fern looms — warned it will be colder next week than any sustained period in NYC in about eight years.

“But New York, whatever comes for it, the city is ready,” Hizzoner continued, warning that at least 8 inches would blanket the city.

The first flurries are expected around 3 a.m. Sunday and will continue through the day before tapering off midday Monday.

The National Weather Service warned that the final total could be as much as 14 inches in NYC by Monday, the highest snow total since 2021.

“A total for New York City for our forecast is 4 to 8 inches, but if we see more snow rather than a mixed sleet, there’s a chance that that could approach a foot of snow,” explained Accuweather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny.

A line of frenzied shoppers extended outside the Trader Joe’s in the West Village, even though its shelves had been nearly wiped clean.

Follow The Post’s live coverage on Winter Storm Fern

“I’m walking through and I’m saying to myself, It’s a good thing I know how to cook,” Denise, an artist, told The Post.

“I think the people are panicking, because I don’t think we’ve seen this kind of snow since 1993. I’m nervous that the power grid is gonna shut down. That’s the biggest thing. I have enough batteries. I don’t know if I should buy some bottled water.”

Nick Golebiewsky, 45, nabbed the store’s last bottle of maple syrup, and was glad he didn’t need to fight anyone for it.

“The workers can’t keep up with this intense amount of shopping. It’s also sort of apocalyptic, I think. Basically, there’s not a food shortage, but this is what it looks like, so it makes me think of something like that,” Golebiewsky said.

Shoppers at TJ’s on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn seemed less worried, though the vegetable and vegan aisles were similarly wiped clean.

“I guess tofu lovers are the new disaster preppers!” joked Jane T., who saw the same trend at a local Whole Foods.

Diana Hidalgo, 26, and parter, Tyler Blackburn, 25, though the snowy weeked provided the perfect excuse to have a weekend of home-cooked meals, and said they looked forward to sledding.

“It’s not [Hurricane] Sandy, “Jackie Renaud said after picking up eggs, junk food and dog food, though she admitted “it’s going to be a lot of shoveling.” 

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday ahead of the major snowstorm.
The mayor emphasized that Sanitation, Parks, Emergency Management, MTA and other departments have already activated severe weather plans and will be on standby overnight.

The city has been preparing for the winter storm, with the DSNY pre-treating the streets starting on Friday, with Mamdani saying the department evaluated prior 311 calls to target areas that have been neglected in the past.

More than 2,000 DSNY workers working 12-hour shifts will begin salting the streets as soon as the snow begins to fall. More than 700 salt spreaders and 2,300 plows will take to the streets throughout the storm.

The FDNY has increased the number of firefighters in every house, and the MTA activated both its Incident Command System and its Emergency Operations Center.

The NYPD is also assisting other agencies, especially EMS to escort ambulance services.

Mamdani had previously activated a Code Blue warning, which is issued ahead of freezing temperatures and loosens homeless shelters’ capacity restrictions to ensure no one is left on the streets overnight.

“No one will be denied. All hospitals, all Department of Homeless Services, drop-in centers and all DHS shelters have a fully open-door policy. This means that we have enough shelter beds available for every single New Yorker in need,” Hizzoner said.

The snow is expected start around 4 a.m. Sunday morning, Accuweather meterologist Alyssa Glenny said.

The snowflakes will turn into sleet early Sunday afternoon, which could contribute to treacherous road conditions.

The storm will taper off before Monday afternoon.

Public schools are preparing to hold classes remotely on Monday. The city will decide by Sunday at 12 p.m. whether students will attend classes in person Monday or remotely. 

The frigid temperatures will stick around through the remainder of the week, with the mercury only hitting highs of 14 degrees on Tuesday and 20 degrees Wednesday, according to Accuweather. Things will “warm” up only next Sunday, when temps could hit a high of 28 degrees, forecasters said.

If the Big Apple gets at least a foot of snow, it would be the most in the city since February 2021, when 16.8 inches fell in Central Park.