New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday ordered a travel ban and the closure of the city's traffic in the face of the imminent snow storm that will hit the northeastern United States. The ban will not affect essential workers or New Yorkers who need to travel for emergencies.

First modification: 02/22/2026 - 20:57 Last modification: 02/22/2026 - 22:00

The imminent arrival of a powerful snow storm led the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, to decree this Sunday, February 22, a temporary curfew in the metropolis of more than eight million inhabitants.

"New York City has not experienced a storm of this magnitude in the last decade," Mamdani warned at a news conference, urging residents to "avoid all non-essential travel."

Given the expected extreme weather conditions, which include heavy snowfall and intense winds, the most populous city in the United States declared a state of emergency and will implement "a curfew from 9 p.m. tonight until noon tomorrow" Monday, he announced.

This will result in the "closure of city streets, highways and bridges to general traffic, whether cars, trucks, scooters or electric bicycles," he clarified. Only "some essential and urgent travel will be allowed."

Up to 70 centimeters of snow

New York authorities expect weather conditions to worsen throughout Sunday and predict significant snowfall overnight and on Monday.

Between 45 and 60 centimeters of snow is forecast in the city, and possibly up to 70 cm. in some areas, as well as strong winds.

Schools and colleges will be closed on Monday and the city will deploy resources and means to assist people who need shelter, Mamdani explained.

The Big Apple is not the only one affected. Much of the northeast coast is also on alert.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared an emergency effective at noon Sunday, freeing up funds and allowing for the rapid deployment of resources to address the weather crisis.

In Boston they are also preparing for extreme weather conditions and a "snow alert" was issued. Up to 60 cm of snow is expected there, Mayor Michelle Wu said Sunday, adding that this storm will be "of historic magnitude."

Canceled flights

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Sunday of "heavy snowfall, violent winds and coastal flooding" due to the "major winter storm."

He added that blizzard conditions would "rapidly materialize" from Maryland to southeastern New England, making travel "extremely dangerous."

Snow could fall at a rate of between five and three inches per hour at the height of the storm, with nearly 54 million people in its path, he added.

The conditions could cause power outages and make travel impossible "along I-95, from north Baltimore to Boston," which also connects New York and Philadelphia, the NWS added.

More than 3,500 flights had already been canceled on Sunday, according to the specialized site FlightAware, with New York airports being the most affected.

A severe winter storm already hit the region at the end of January, causing, according to authorities, more than one hundred deaths.

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