A powerful winter storm swept across the US Northeast, forcing school closures, grounding thousands of flights and pushing transit systems onto emergency schedules.
Officials warned of heavy snowfall, fierce winds and dangerous travel conditions as states declared emergencies and urged residents to stay home.
NYC declares emergency as blizzard hits
In New York City, the nation’s largest school district ordered all public school buildings closed for a traditional snow day on Monday, with no remote instruction and all after-school programs canceled.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and barred non-essential vehicles, including bicycles and scooters, from city streets from 9pm Sunday to noon Monday. He said plows and emergency crews needed clear roads as snowfall intensified.
City offices closed for in-person services, with non-essential municipal employees allowed to work remotely. “I’m urging every New Yorker to please stay home,” Mamdani said.
The city is under its first blizzard warning since 2017.
Governors activate National Guard, restrict travel
New York Governor Kathy Hochul activated 100 National Guard members to assist in Long Island, New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley — areas expected to see the heaviest snow and strongest coastal winds.
In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency, activated up to 200 National Guard members and told state workers to stay home. The state also restricted non-essential travel from Sunday evening.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont banned commercial vehicles on highways from 5pm Sunday, exempting only emergency and essential deliveries.
In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a statewide emergency effective noon Sunday and urged residents to take the storm seriously.
“People need to take this very seriously,” Sherrill told CNN. The storm also forced the closure of the UN headquarters complex in Manhattan on Monday.
Heavy snow, strong winds, power outage risks
Parts of the Northeast could see up to two feet of snow, with wind gusts reaching 70mph, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Officials warned of falling trees, power outages and hazardous road conditions. The US Postal Service said winter weather may delay mail and package processing, transport and delivery.
Despite a funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said its disaster response operations continue uninterrupted, including staff travel and emergency assistance for people affected by active disasters.
Last week, Reuters reported that President Donald Trump’s administration had ordered FEMA to suspend deployment of hundreds of aid workers nationwide while DHS remains shut down.
Thousands of flights delayed or canceled
Air travel was among the earliest and hardest-hit sectors.
By early Sunday afternoon, around 15,247 flights were delayed and 3,509 were canceled, with the highest number of cancellations at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports.
Flight-tracking site FlightAware reported more than 5,000 cancellations for Monday alone. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said over 25,000 flights were scheduled to depart from the United States on Monday, with cancellations also rising for Tuesday, particularly at major Northeast hubs.
Public transit services suspended
Transit systems across the region shut down services as conditions worsened. NJ TRANSIT suspended bus, light rail and Access Link services Sunday evening and halted statewide rail service by night, with operations set to resume only when conditions allow.
In New England, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority suspended all services, including its RIde paratransit program, from Sunday night through Monday, saying services would restart only when weather conditions improve.
As snow continued to blanket the region, officials across multiple states stressed a single message: stay home, stay safe and let emergency crews do their work.
