New York City hunkers down under blizzard warnings and a travel ban as winter storm hits northeast
NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of people in New York City and a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings on Monday as a fierce winter storm barreled into the densely populated region with heavy snowfall and high winds.
Cellphones across New York City received wailing push alerts Sunday night announcing a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets through noon Monday because of “dangerous blizzard conditions.” Rhode Island and New Jersey implemented similar restrictions. Regional airports saw widespread cancellations and delays, and public transit was suspended in some areas. Even DoorDash announced it was suspending deliveries in New York City overnight.
Blizzard warnings stretched from Maryland to Maine. Snow began falling Sunday as the storm moved north, and the National Weather Service said 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in many areas, along with low visibility. Officials in several states urged people to avoid venturing out.
Emergencies were declared in New York, Philadelphia and other cities, as well as several states stretching from Delaware to Massachusetts as officials mobilized readiness efforts.
“We expect things to dramatically change here” heading into the overnight, weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said Sunday. “The storm is continuing to develop, and as it does, as it continues to strengthen and move to the north, we’re expecting conditions to rapidly deteriorate.”
Pereira added that the storm could possibly become a bomb cyclone, which is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.
“We’re expecting it to drop by that magnitude at least over the course of the next 24 hours,” he said. “I think when all is said and done, it will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone.”
Some of the heaviest snow forecast for overnight Sunday into Monday
The weather service said some of the heaviest snow was expected to fall overnight, with as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday afternoon.
New York City and Boston canceled public school classes for Monday, while Philadelphia will switch to online learning. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”
“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy,” he said.
Meanwhile, outreach workers worked to coax homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelters and warming centers.
Various landmarks and cultural institutions announced closures Monday, from New York’s Museum of Modern Art to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Broadway shows were canceled Sunday evening.
The weather service said the storm’s strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions and warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor.
“Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages,” said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Boston office. “That’s what we’re most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.”
Preparations for major snow clearing
In addition to their robust plow operations, New York City officials recruited people to shovel snow, with some beginning work Sunday night to get an early start on the first wave of snowfall, Mamdani said.
With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico. Instead he was preparing his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet (meters) of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.
Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow-removal vehicles.
“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”
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Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York, and Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Contributing were Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy in New York; Darlene Superville in Washington, D.C.; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.