A massive winter storm swept across the US Northeast on Sunday, prompting blizzard warnings from Maryland to Massachusetts and forcing widespread travel restrictions and cancellations.
New York City and New Jersey imposed travel bans, airlines cancelled thousands of flights, and Broadway shows were called off as heavy snow and strong winds disrupted daily life. Forecasters warned that several areas could receive up to two feet of snow, urging residents to avoid non-essential travel.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major nor’easter and major blizzard of this magnitude across the Northeast,” Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center said, as cited by AP. “This is definitely a major winter storm and a major impact for this part of the country.”
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Heavy snowfall and blizzard warnings across the region
The National Weather Service said New York City could see between 16 and 24 inches of snow, potentially the heaviest snowfall since 2016, when 27.5 inches covered Central Park. Parts of Massachusetts could receive up to 24 inches, while sections of Pennsylvania were forecast to get 8 to 12 inches.
Wind gusts of up to 55 mph were expected in the New York region, along with risks of coastal flooding in areas including the Bronx and Queens. More than 35 million people from eastern Maryland to eastern Massachusetts were placed under blizzard warnings through Monday.
States of emergency were declared in New York City and parts of New York state, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ban on non-emergency travel from 9.00 pm Sunday until noon Monday, with similar measures in neighbouring states.
Flights grounded, airports hit hard
By Sunday afternoon, about 3,500 domestic and international flights had been cancelled, more than six times the number cancelled the previous day, according to FlightAware. Around 40 per cent of scheduled flights at New York’s Kennedy and LaGuardia airports were grounded.
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Air India also cancelled flights to and from New York and Newark scheduled for February 24, citing severe blizzard conditions. The airline said ground teams would assist affected passengers with rebooking and support.
In Washington, DC, landmarks, including Arlington National Cemetery, announced closures for Monday.
Storm intensifies unexpectedly, may qualify as ‘bomb cyclone’. Unlike earlier storms that offered clear warnings, this system intensified rapidly. As late as Friday morning, forecasts ranged from a minor dusting to a major snow event. By Sunday, projections for New York City had surged to 16 to 24 inches, possibly making it the fourth-largest snowfall in Central Park since the 19th century.
Forecasters said the storm could qualify as a “bomb cyclone,” a term used when a storm’s barometric pressure drops at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. This system’s pressure is expected to fall by 24 millibars in less than 12 hours, meeting the criteria for rapid intensification.
