Almost every flight delayed or canceled at NYC and Boston airports as blizzard brings 20 inches of snow to Empire State
Travel chaos wreaked havoc on the East Coast on Sunday as a massive snowstorm brought more than 20 inches of snow overnight.
Nearly all travel into and out of New York City, Philadelphia and Boston was canceled Monday morning due to severe weather, and many states declared emergencies due to the devastating storm.
Nearly 9,000 flights have been canceled across the country since Sunday. Officials warned that travel could be affected by the storm for days.
Airports with the most outages include JFK and LaGuardia in New York, Newark in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Reagan in Washington, D.C.
The weather bombshell will disrupt travel across the United States as planes are stranded in the Northeast and connecting flights are cut.
Authorities are urging all travelers to check the status of their flights, while most airlines are offering waivers to rebook due to inclement weather without penalty.
On Monday morning, New York City airports had the highest cancellation rate, with nearly 99 percent cancellations occurring. FlightAwareand forecasters warned that the storm was expected to bring even more snowfall on Monday.
Travel chaos wreaked havoc on the East Coast on Sunday as a massive snowstorm brought more than 20 inches of snow overnight. 99 percent of all flights canceled at LaGuardia in New York
Heavy snowfall affected millions of people on the East Coast, and travel restrictions were imposed from Boston (pictured) to Washington DC
New York City Sanitation Department garbage truck in Brooklyn on Monday
Snow totals in New York reached over 20 inches on Long Island; 15 inches were recorded in Central Park and 18 inches in Newark, New Jersey, as of 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday.
Snow could reach historic levels with predicted snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour; The previous record in Central Park was 27.5 inches set on January 22-24, 2016.
Other historical snow totals in the city were 26.9 inches in 2006, 26.4 in 1947, and 21 inches in 1888.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has imposed a travel ban on all residents of New York City; This closed all travel on New York City’s roads and bridges from 9 p.m. Sunday until at least 12 a.m. Monday, declared a snow day for schools throughout the city, and left the city facing its first blizzard warning in more than a decade.
Metro lines are working, but there are serious delays.
After announcing the news, Mamdani shared a clip on his social media account and said: ‘No online school, no distance education, just a classic snow day.’
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also imposed a statewide travel ban until noon on Monday.
“Due to ongoing hazardous storm conditions, we are extending the mandatory travel restriction until 12:00 pm today,” he wrote on X.
‘Please stay inside and stay safe. Give road crews the space they need to do their job.’
Airports with the most outages include JFK and LaGuardia in New York, Newark, Philadelphia international in New Jersey, and Reagan international in Washington, D.C.
Forecasters said more than 20 inches of snow would fall in some areas and wind gusts would top 50 mph
Severe weather conditions led governors in many states to place millions under emergency warnings and travel bans
Snowfall spread across New York at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour overnight
Mayor Zohran Mamdani imposed a travel ban on all residents of New York City, halting all travel on roads and bridges until at least 12 a.m. Monday.
The powerful snowstorm saw snowfall rates soaring at more than an inch per hour across three states Monday morning, with all residents urged to stay indoors as icy wind gusts reached 50 mph.
More than 500,000 people remained without power on the East Coast, while National Guard troops were deployed to several states, including New York and Massachusetts.
As temperatures remained around freezing, conditions allowed snowflakes to partially melt and gather together, forming a heavy form of snow known as ‘heart attack’ snow. This can be twice as heavy and harder to shovel.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey urged residents to stay off the streets, saying: ‘Every car that gets caught, runs, skids, crashes, you’re creating a burden on our first responders who may have to be sent somewhere else.’
The National Weather Service warned Monday that travel would be “extremely treacherous or nearly impossible,” with snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour expected in the northern Mid-Atlantic and eastern New England.
Strong winds leading to heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions will sharply reduce visibility and make travel along the Northeast Coast ‘extremely hazardous’, the forecaster said.
