New York City hunkers down under blizzard warnings and a travel ban as
winter storm hits Northeast
[February 23, 2026]
By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE, CLAIRE RUSH, JULIE WALKER and ADAM
GELLER
NEW YORK (AP) — 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 a fierce winter storm barreled into the
densely populated region with heavy snowfall and high winds.
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. Regional airports saw
widespread cancellations and delays, and public transit was suspended in
some areas. Even DoorDash announced it was suspending deliveries in New
York City overnight.
Blizzard warnings stretched from Maryland to Maine. Snow began falling
Sunday as the storm moved north, and the National Weather Service said 1
to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in many areas,
along with low visibility. Officials in several states urged people to
avoid venturing out.
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.
“We expect things to dramatically change here” heading into the
overnight, weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said Sunday. “The
storm is continuing to develop, and as it does, as it continues to
strengthen and move to the north, we’re expecting conditions to rapidly
deteriorate.”
Pereira added that the storm could possibly become a bomb cyclone, which
is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.
“We’re expecting it to drop by that magnitude at least over the course
of the next 24 hours,” he said. “I think when all is said and done, it
will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone.”
Heaviest snowfall forecast overnight
The weather service said some of the heaviest snow was expected to fall
overnight, with as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour
accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday
afternoon.
New York City and Boston canceled public school classes for Monday,
while Philadelphia will switch to online learning. New York Mayor Zohran
Mamdani called it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”
“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if
you choose to accept it: Stay cozy,” he said.
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A man rides a bicycle in the beginning of an intense snowstorm by
20th Street and First Avenue, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in New York.
(AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
Meanwhile, outreach workers worked to coax homeless New Yorkers off
the street and into shelters and warming centers.
Various landmarks and cultural institutions announced closures
Monday, from New York's Museum of Modern Art to Arlington National
Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Broadway shows were canceled Sunday
evening.
The weather service said the storm’s strong wind gusts could cause
whiteout conditions and warned of a “Potentially
Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence
corridor.
“Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for
damaged trees and prolonged power outages,” said Bryce Williams, a
meteorologist with the weather service’s Boston office. “That’s what
we’re most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow
amounts with that wind.”
Preparations for major snow clearing
In addition to their robust plow operations, New York City officials
recruited people to shovel snow, with some beginning work Sunday
night to get an early start on the first wave of snowfall, Mamdani
said.
With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a
family trip to Puerto Rico. Instead he was preparing his company,
Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task:
Clearing snow from millions of square feet (meters) of asphalt
surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.
Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the
company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on
snow-removal vehicles.
“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,”
Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight,
sleep for a few hours and then go back.”
___
Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York, and Rush reported from
Portland, Oregon. Contributing were Associated Press writers Mark
Kennedy in New York; Darlene Superville in Washington; and
Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.
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