More than 40 million people across the northeastern United States, from Maryland to Maine, are facing a blizzard of rare intensity that has brought New York City to a standstill.
According to CNN, early this morning in Freehold, New Jersey — just 50 kilometers from Manhattan — snowfall had already reached at least 60 centimeters (about 24 inches). In Central Park, snow accumulation measured 40 centimeters, a level not seen since 2021. Forecasters expect snowfall to intensify through the afternoon.
Governors in seven states — Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island — declared states of emergency and imposed driving bans. Schools, municipal services, and many businesses remained closed in New York City and Boston, while the headquarters of the United Nations in Manhattan also shut down.
More than 5,800 flights had been canceled by 11:00 a.m., according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Major disruptions were reported at airports in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. Numerous public transit and rail services were also suspended, particularly in New Jersey.
Approximately 650,000 households lost power, according to PowerOutage.us, including 285,000 in Massachusetts and 127,000 in New Jersey.
In New York City, the skyscrapers of Wall Street were barely visible from neighboring Brooklyn. Yet some residents still made their way to work, despite reduced subway service and delays.
“I thought I’d be alone,” said Evangeline Plakas around 9 a.m. at Times Square station, returning home after an overnight security shift. She described the storm as “beautiful, with incredible colors.”
Chris, 25, chose to go into the office even though he could have worked remotely. “I expected it — there are just fewer subway trains running,” he said.
Meanwhile, 45-year-old Chris Crowell took a brief walk before returning home to telework. “It was cold, humid, and very windy — but beautiful,” he noted.
In Wildwood, New Jersey, Vincent Greer expressed frustration while shoveling snow outside his home: “I don’t want to see snow again. I can’t see anything in front of me — I’m freezing!”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned that this could be the worst storm the city has experienced in the past decade, urging residents to remain indoors. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu described the storm as potentially “historic.”
The storm follows a deadly cold wave in late January that claimed at least 18 lives in New York City — mostly due to hypothermia — and around 100 deaths nationwide.
Since yesterday, heated emergency shelters have been operating in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston to assist those in need, as authorities work to mitigate the dangers posed by the extreme weather.
