New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared a state of emergency and ordered a citywide travel ban for all non-essential travel, as a powerful winter storm threatens the northeastern United States with blizzard conditions. The storm is expected to affect more than 35 million people from Maryland to Massachusetts, with forecasts of up to two feet of snow and wind gusts reaching 70 mph.
The travel ban, effective from 9 pm Sunday to noon Monday, applies to streets, highways, and bridges but exempts essential workers and those traveling due to emergencies. Mamdani also announced that public schools would have a full 'snow day' on Monday, with no remote learning. 'Staying home means you are staying safe,' he said.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for New York City, Long Island, and coastal areas of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Whiteout conditions are expected to make travel treacherous, and the combination of strong winds and heavy snow could cause power outages. A storm surge of 2 to 4 feet may lead to moderate coastal flooding from Delaware Bay to Cape Cod.
Airlines have cancelled over 6,000 flights through Monday, with major hubs including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, and Boston Logan hardest hit. New York City has brought in additional snow-clearing equipment and recruited workers to shovel snow on foot. Outreach teams are assisting unhoused individuals into shelters and warming centers.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency from noon Sunday, with all 21 counties under a blizzard warning for the first time in 30 years. In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency from 2 pm Sunday, closing public schools and city offices on Monday. Officials urged residents to stay off the roads and take the storm seriously.
