A powerful winter storm swept into the northeastern United States on Monday, forcing road closures, school shutdowns and widespread travel cancellations as tens of millions of Americans prepared for heavy snowfall and dangerous conditions.
From Washington, D.C. to Maine, residents braced for what forecasters warned could bring up to two feet (60 centimetres) of snow in some areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported light snow and freezing fog in New York City early Monday, with blizzard conditions expected to quickly develop from Maryland to southeastern New England.
Snowfall rates were forecast to reach two to three inches per hour at the height of the storm, with nearly 54 million people in its path. In New York, visibility dropped sharply as the storm intensified, with skyscrapers in Wall Street barely visible from parts of Brooklyn.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency, announcing that streets, highways and bridges would be closed from 9:00 pm Sunday until noon Monday. He urged residents to avoid all nonessential travel, noting that the city had not experienced a storm of this scale in the past decade. The restrictions exempt essential workers and emergency travel.
Power outages were already being reported. By shortly after 1:30 am local time, nearly 80,000 customers in New Jersey were without electricity, according to outage tracking data. More than 5,000 flights were also cancelled nationwide as airlines struggled to cope with the conditions.
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu ordered public schools and municipal buildings closed, urging residents to stay off the roads to allow emergency and public works crews to operate safely.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency beginning Sunday afternoon, enabling faster deployment of resources to respond to the crisis.
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The NWS warned that gusts of up to 60 miles (100 kilometres) per hour could combine with heavy snowfall to create “dangerous to impossible” travel conditions. Coastal areas from Delaware to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, were also at risk of moderate to major flooding.
For some residents, the shutdown created frustration, especially those expected to report to work despite travel restrictions. Others, including tourists experiencing snowfall for the first time, embraced the spectacle in places like Times Square.
Governor Kathy Hochul cautioned that the worst of the storm was still ahead, urging residents to stock up on essentials and remain indoors.
“Whatever you need — groceries, medicines, pet food — do it now,” she advised. “Then just settle in.”
