Heavy snowfall and strong winds have severely disrupted life in New York City, where up to 15 inches of snow were recorded in several areas. At Central Park, snowfall totals surpassed 19 inches.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and imposed travel restrictions, urging residents to remain indoors and avoid non-essential travel. Public schools were fully closed for the first time in years as authorities prioritized public safety.
The storm brought snowfall rates of up to three inches per hour, accompanied by wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour. The intense conditions drastically reduced visibility and made road travel extremely hazardous. Roads, highways, and bridges were temporarily closed to allow emergency responders and snow-clearing crews to operate safely.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also declared a statewide emergency and mobilized National Guard units to assist with response efforts, appealing to residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Widespread Impact Across the Northeast
The storm’s impact extended well beyond New York. More than 600,000 homes and businesses across the region lost power as heavy snow and strong winds damaged infrastructure.
In Rhode Island and Massachusetts, snowfall totals reached as high as 37 inches in some areas. Authorities in Rhode Island and neighboring Connecticut imposed bans on non-essential travel, while Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued similar restrictions. Approximately 300,000 residents in Massachusetts were left without electricity at the height of the storm.
Warnings remained in effect from North Carolina to Maine, as well as parts of eastern Canada. According to the National Weather Service, additional snowfall ranging from one to two feet was expected through Tuesday morning in several regions.
Air Travel Paralyzed
Air travel across the eastern United States faced unprecedented disruption. Thousands of flights were cancelled, stranding travelers nationwide.
At LaGuardia Airport, 98 percent of outbound flights were cancelled. John F. Kennedy International Airport, which typically handles more than 335,000 passengers daily, saw 91 percent of flights grounded. Both airports recorded nearly 19 inches of snowfall.
In Boston, Logan International Airport cancelled 92 percent of its flights. Newark Liberty International Airport reported a similar cancellation rate, while Philadelphia International Airport cancelled approximately 80 percent of scheduled departures.
Flight-tracking data indicated that more than 5,700 flights to and from the United States were cancelled on Monday alone, with at least 2,000 additional cancellations anticipated. Airports in New York and Boston were expected to remain the most severely affected as recovery efforts continued.
Ongoing Recovery Efforts
Authorities across the tri-state region warned that conditions would remain dangerous even as snowfall gradually subsides. Snow removal operations, power restoration efforts, and emergency services remain fully mobilized.
The storm ranks among the most disruptive winter weather events in recent years for the eastern United States, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to extreme seasonal weather and the significant challenges posed to transportation networks, infrastructure, and public safety systems.
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