Snow Storm Weather Forecast: Historic blizzard slams US north-east as NYC bans travel
The snow storm weather forecast tightened into a life‑disrupting nor'easter overnight, with New York City under a full travel ban and mayors and governors declaring states of emergency as heavy snow, fierce winds and coastal flooding began from Sunday evening into Monday.
Snow Storm Weather Forecast: what forecasters say and who’s in the path
Forecasters have placed much of the US north‑east and the maritimes provinces under warnings for a storm expected to run from Sunday evening to Monday, with one briefing putting 59 million people under weather warnings and another describing more than 35 million people affected. The US National Weather Service warned snowfall rates of 2–3 inches (5–7cm) per hour, totals of 1–2 feet (30–60cm) across many areas, and called travel "nearly impossible" and "extremely treacherous"; NWS meteorologists said coastal areas could see the strongest winds and flooding.
New York City shuts down: travel ban, school closures and emergency measures
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and ordered a citywide travel ban from 9 p. m. on Sunday to noon on Monday, exempting essential workers and those with emergencies. Mamdani said schools would be closed and called Monday a full "classic snow day" with "No online school, no remote learning, full classic snow day. " He told a news conference that the most severe snowfall was expected overnight into Monday and that some places could see up to 28 inches (70cm); elsewhere the city is expected to receive 18–24 inches (50–60cm) with temperatures falling toward about 20F (-6C).
How the storm is already hitting: snowfall, outages and cancellations
By midnight local time on Monday much of the north‑east was already blanketed in several inches of snow, with 10 inches (25cm) reported in Manorville, New York and Howell, New Jersey. Power cuts have affected more than 150, 000 people across the north‑eastern states so far, including 60, 000 in New Jersey, and tens of thousands more without power in Virginia, Delaware and Maryland, with the tracker PowerOutage. us logging the outages. Flight tracking data showed roughly 5, 500 US cancellations on Sunday and hundreds of delays, while another count put airline cancellations at more than 6, 000 through Monday, with major hubs JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia and Boston Logan among the hardest hit.
Coastal flood and wind threats: storm surge and gusts
Forecasters warned the storm could be the most powerful nor'easter in nearly a decade across a large populated region, bringing snow, fierce winds and coastal flooding. Wind gusts of up to 65–70mph (104–112km/h) are expected along the coast, and a storm surge of 2–4 feet could cause moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion from Delaware Bay to Cape Cod during high tides along nearly 400 miles of shoreline. Officials cautioned that whiteout conditions could make travel life‑threatening and that heavy snow on tree limbs may down power lines and cause sporadic power outages.
City preparations and community response
Mamdani said New York would expand the tactics used during an earlier storm, bringing in additional snow‑clearing equipment from outside the city and expanding geocoding to track bus stops, crosswalks, pedestrian ramps and unsheltered bus stops that need clearing. City officials have recruited people to shovel on foot, with some slated to begin work on Sunday night to get ahead of the first wave of snowfall. Outreach workers were assisting unhoused New Yorkers into shelters and warming centers. Brooklyn resident Brandon Smith said workplaces remained open even as roads were suspended: "It's gonna be difficult for most New Yorkers to get around because we still have to go to work. It’s unfortunate [roads] are suspended as jobs are not gonna stop calling us in, " he said.
Expert warnings and historical context
Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the NWS's Weather Prediction Center, told the 's US partner CBS News that while nor'easters are common, "it's been several years since we saw one of this magnitude across this large of a region in this very populated part of the country. " This is the first blizzard warning for New York City in nine years and marks the second major snowstorm of the first‑time mayor's administration after a three‑week cold snap in January that preceded 19 deaths.
The travel ban in New York remains in effect until noon on Monday, and forecasters expect heavy impacts through Monday as crews continue clearance and recovery operations.
