New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has ordered a citywide travel ban for all but emergency travel as the north-eastern United States braces for an intense winter storm forecast to reach blizzard strength. The measure, in effect from 9pm on Sunday until noon on Monday, covers streets, highways and bridges, and follows the declaration of a state of emergency on Sunday.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings from Maryland to Massachusetts, affecting more than 35 million people. Forecasts predict more than a foot of snow in many areas, with wind gusts of up to 70mph and the risk of coastal flooding from Cape Cod to Delaware. A storm surge of 2 to 4ft could cause moderate flooding and beach erosion during high tide cycles.
Mamdani said public schools would have a full “snow day” on Monday, with no online or remote learning. He urged residents to stay indoors, telling Fox News: “Staying home means you are staying safe.” The weather service warned that whiteout conditions would make travel “treacherous and potentially life-threatening”, and that heavy snow and strong winds could bring down power lines.
Airlines have cancelled more than 6,000 flights through Monday, according to FlightAware, with major hubs including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia and Boston Logan hardest hit. New York is expanding snow-clearing efforts, including additional equipment brought in from outside the city, geocoding to track bus stops and pedestrian crossings, and the recruitment of workers to shovel snow on foot.
Outreach teams have been helping homeless New Yorkers into shelters and warming centres. Meanwhile, a state of emergency began at noon on Sunday across New Jersey, where all 21 counties are under a blizzard warning for the first time in 30 years. In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency from 2pm on Sunday, with schools and city offices closed on Monday, describing the approaching storm as one of “historic proportions”.
