A powerful winter storm has forced school closures, pushed offices and transit systems onto emergency schedules and resulted in a regional warning of heavy snow, strong winds and dangerous travel conditions across the U.S. Northeast on Monday.
The storm has already halted travel along the East Coast from Washington to New England, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights from multiple airlines and officials urging people to stay off the roads. The U.S. Postal Service has also warned that winter weather across the Northeast may slow processing, transport and delivery of mail and packages.
Air travel was the first to be affected. More than 5,000 flights were already cancelled for Monday, as seen on FlightAware, a flight-tracking site. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported more than 25,000 flights were scheduled to depart from the U.S. on Monday. Cancellations seem to be rising for Tuesday as well.
Northeast States on High Alert
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared a state of emergency and ordered all non-essential vehicles off the city roads from Sunday night to noon on Monday, citing the need for ploughs and emergency crews to keep the streets clear as snowfall intensified.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that she has activated 100 National Guard members to assist in Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley, both of which are expected to face the brunt of heavy snow and coastal winds. The storm also forced the closure of the U.N. Headquarters complex in Manhattan.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also declared a state of emergency and has warned state workers to stay home. Meanwhile, Connecticut barred commercial vehicles from limited-access highways. Only emergency and essential deliveries are exempt.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also declared a statewide emergency effective as of noon Sunday and urged residents to take the storm seriously.
Emergency Services Still Active Despite Budget Lapse
According to the Department of Homeland Security, parts of the Northeast could see over two feet of snow and wind gusts reaching 70 mph, raising the risk of power outages.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated that despite an ongoing funding lapse, disaster-response work has continued uninterrupted, including staff travel, emergency operations, and critical assistance for people affected by active disasters. They have added that life safety and property protection remain the top priorities.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration ordered FEMA to suspend deployment of hundreds of aid workers to disaster-affected areas around the country while the Department of Homeland Security is shut down.
(With inputs from Reuters)
