A sprawling winter storm, billed as the East Coast’s biggest in a decade, has draped over 40 million Americans—stretching from Maryland to Maine—in snow alerts, closed New York’s schools, and prompted emergency declarations in five states. As New Jersey to Massachusetts braces for up to 60 centimeters of “very wet” snow and gusts topping 100 kph, the region might discover just how unromantic winter wonderlands can get.
New York City in brief
Top five stories in the five boroughs today
A blizzard blanketed New York and New Jersey with up to 23 inches of snow—enough to halt most transit, prompt a metropolitan travel ban, and grant schoolchildren a rare escape from remote learning. While subways soldiered on, delays and suspended rail lines left many marooned. Meteorologists called this Central Park’s top-20 snowstorm, but after snug winters, we suppose a proper snow day keeps local spirits on ice.
New York’s 2026 blizzard delivered precisely as promised, piling up over 18 inches in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights and felling visibility across the five boroughs. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s travel ban and school closures brought the city to a frosty halt, while more than 5,000 plows churned valiantly. PlowNYC insists most roads are clear, but for now, we suggest perfecting our cocoa game—data shows it’s safer indoors.
A bomb cyclone left New York and parts of the northeast up to their necks in snow, with Islip, Suffolk County hit hardest at over 22 inches, and Central Park eyeing historic records. Power flickered out for 250,000 east coasters, public transport ground to a halt, and airports scrubbed 5,500 flights—though, with the wind howling and snow still falling, no one was rushing to catch a cab anyway.
New York City’s travel ban grinds on through Monday noon, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani and 2,600 tireless sanitation workers wrestle with at least 15 inches of snow—plus spirited wind gusts up to 60 m.p.h.—courtesy of February’s blockbuster blizzard. Subways limp and DoorDash sits out the storm, while Mayor Mamdani reminds us all to stay indoors, presumably to give snowploughs their moment in the sunless spotlight.