Major snow storm slams US northeast as New York City issues travel ban, declares emergency

NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Feb, 2026) A powerful, rapidly intensifying winter storm Sunday lashed the US Northeast, with heavy snow, high winds, and blizzard conditions causing widespread disruption across the tri-state area encompassing New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Emergency declarations and travel bans are in effect as parts of the region have already received, and are expecting, over a foot of snow, with some areas forecast to see up to 2 feet or more.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has already declared a state of emergency for more than 20 counties, activating the New York National Guard.

The United Nations announced the closure of its headquarters in New York City on Monday, saying all meetings and events were being re-scheduled.

The storm also disrupted air travel in the region. Nearly half of all flights in and out of New York City’s three major airports — John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty — have been canceled, with additional ground stops possible as the storm intensifies.

About 40 million people are impacted by the blizzard warning, and another 19 million are under winter storm warnings across the vast region.

"While we do get plenty of these nor'easters that produce heavy snow and strong impacts, 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," Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, told the CBS News, an American tv network.

Already, power outages are mounting with more than 20,000 without electricity in the neighbouring state of New Jersey. Thousands more are without power in Virginia, Delaware and Maryland, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us.

About 3,900 US flights have been cancelled on Sunday and hundreds of others have been delayed, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

The National Weather Service has warned that the storm will bring an estimated 2-3 inches could fall per hour during the storm, and snowfall can reach 1-2 feet, resulting in "nearly impossible" travel conditions.

The blizzard conditions will also make travel "extremely treacherous" in parts of the northeast US, the service said.

Snow started to fall Sunday evening in parts of the northeast, including in Boston, Philadelphia and New York, where some of the harshest conditions are forecasted.

It's the first time in nine years that New York City - the most populated US city - has been under a blizzard warning. The city is expected to be hit particularly hard with 18-24 inches of snow expected to fall in the metro area and temperatures dropping to about 20F (-6C).

A full travel ban is in place in New York City, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying schools would be cancelled and all streets, highways and bridges would be shut to traffic, besides for emergencies.

During a news conference, Mamdani said the most severe snowfall is expected overnight, with up to 28 inches in certain areas. He declared a state of emergency in the city. This is the second major snowstorm of the first-time mayor's administration, coming after 19 people died during a three-week cold snap in January.

Across the state, the highest wind gusts are expected along the coast, up to 65 to 70 mph (104 to 112 kph), with officials warning of downed tree limbs and power outages too.

Due to the storm, all Broadway shows on Sunday evening have been cancelled, and the New York Racing Association has cancelled Sunday's eight-horse races at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Conditions are expected to be harshest along the coast, with New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island forecasted to be hit the worst.

APP/ift