New York's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has imposed a citywide travel ban for all but emergency travel as the north-eastern United States prepares for an intense winter storm forecast to reach blizzard strength. The storm is expected to bring heavy snow and high winds, affecting more than 35 million people from Maryland to Massachusetts.
Mamdani declared a state of emergency on Sunday, releasing extra funding to deal with the weather event. The travel ban applies to all non-essential travel across streets, highways, and bridges from 9pm on Sunday until noon on Monday, though essential workers and those with emergencies are exempt. Public schools will have a full 'snow day' on Monday with no remote learning.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for New York City, Long Island, and coastal communities in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts. Forecasts predict 1 to 2 feet of snow, with wind gusts up to 70mph and potential coastal flooding from Cape Cod to Delaware. Whiteout conditions could make travel treacherous and cause power outages.
Airlines have cancelled over 6,000 flights through Monday, hitting major hubs like JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, and Boston Logan. New York has brought in additional snow-clearing equipment and recruited workers to shovel snow. Outreach teams are assisting unhoused people into shelters and warming centres.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency from noon on Sunday, with all 21 counties under a blizzard warning for the first time in 30 years. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also declared a snow emergency, closing schools and city offices on Monday. Residents are urged to stay indoors and take the storm seriously.
