A blizzard warning is in effect for New York City as a powerful nor’easter slams the Northeast, bringing heavy snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for over 20 counties and activated the New York National Guard, according to USA Today.
The storm, which began intensifying on Sunday, February 22nd, is expected to drop up to two feet of snow – and potentially more – across parts of the New York City region, with snowfall rates exceeding two inches per hour. These conditions are creating extremely dangerous travel conditions, and have already led to widespread disruptions.
Nearly half of all flights in and out of New York City’s three major airports – John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty – have been canceled, with the possibility of further ground stops as the storm intensifies. Lufthansa Group has canceled all flights to Newark, New York, and Boston on Monday, February 23rd, and return flights are also affected, as reported by Tagesspiegel.
New York City is under its first blizzard warning since 2017. Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a citywide travel ban, closing all streets, highways, and bridges to all vehicles except emergency services, effective Sunday evening. He also appealed for volunteers to shovel snow, offering $30 per hour, according to the New York Times.
Schools, libraries, and other city facilities are closed. The United Nations headquarters in Manhattan is also closed, with all scheduled meetings postponed. Authorities have opened warming centers across the city, urging residents to stay indoors, citing 18 deaths during a similar winter storm in January.
Beyond New York City, Long Island, eastern New Jersey, and southeastern New England are bracing for potentially record-breaking snowfall. Strong east-to-northeast winds are expected to trigger coastal flooding, particularly along western Long Island Sound and parts of Massachusetts. Massachusetts has already seen over 80 centimeters of snowfall in some areas, and approximately 280,000 homes are without power, with the state of emergency extended in some regions.
Approximately 500,000 customers across the Northeast are experiencing power outages, according to Poweroutage.us. Gouverneur Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey has urged residents to stock up on supplies and avoid travel, also issuing a travel ban.
More than 8,000 flights have been canceled across the region, impacting airports in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, according to FlightAware. The National Weather Service warned of “extremely dangerous” road conditions.
The storm is now moving towards New England, but the impact on New York City continues. Broadway theaters remain closed Monday evening.
