School closing and delays, NJ travel ban, state of emergency declared: Millions in New York City stuck at home, 5,300 ⁠flights canceled, bomb cyclone alert

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 Monday as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions in the densely populated region. Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 centimeters) an hour early Monday from New York through Massachusetts. Some areas have gotten well over a foot (30 centimeters) of snow since Sunday, along with wind gusts of over 30 mph (48 kph) and low visibility.

The National Weather Service called travel conditions "nearly impossible". Blizzard warnings stretched from Maryland to Maine. 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.

More than 5,000 flights in and out of the United States were canceled for Monday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Airports in New York City and Boston saw the most cancellations and delays.


Public transit was suspended in some areas. Even DoorDash announced it was suspending deliveries in New York City overnight.

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.

Weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said the storm could possibly become a bomb cyclone, which is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.

School Closings, Delays

Children across parts of the U.S. ​Northeast will stay home on Monday as a powerful winter storm forced school closures and pushed offices and transit systems onto emergency schedules, with officials across the region warning of heavy snow, strong winds and dangerous travel conditions.

The storm has already snarled travel along the East Coast from Washington to New England, with airlines canceling thousands of flights ‌and officials urging people ⁠to stay ⁠off the roads. Winter weather in the Northeast may also slow the processing, transport and delivery of mail and packages, the U.S. Postal Service said.

New York City, the nation's largest school ​district, ordered all public school buildings closed for a traditional snow day, with no remote instruction and all after-school programs canceled.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of ​emergency and ordered non-essential vehicles off city roads from Sunday night to noon Monday, saying plows and emergency crews needed the streets clear as snowfall intensified. The city is under its first blizzard warning since 2017.

City offices will close for in-person services, and non-essential municipal employees may work remotely. "I'm urging every ​New Yorker to please stay home," Mamdani said.

Travel Disruptions

Air travel was among ​the earliest casualties. Flight-tracking ​site FlightAware showed more than 5,300 ⁠flights already canceled for Monday. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said more than 25,000 flights were scheduled to depart from the United States on Monday, with cancellations also rising for Tuesday, especially at major Northeast airports.

Republic Airways, which operates regional flights for U.S. legacy carriers United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American ​Airlines, recorded the highest number of cancellations as of Monday morning, with more than 850 flights impacted, according to FlightAware data.

JetBlue Airways followed, with nearly 800 flights affected.

NJ TRANSIT suspended bus, light rail and Access Link services Sunday evening and halted statewide rail services by Sunday night, with operations resuming only when conditions allow.

In New England, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority said it would suspend all service — including its RIde paratransit program — from Sunday night through Monday and would announce plans to resume service only when conditions improve.