Monster blizzard in US: New York paralysed, flights cancelled, emergency orders

A fierce, fast-intensifying winter storm slammed into the US East Coast on Sunday, triggering states of emergency across New York, New Jersey and several neighbouring states, grounding thousands of flights and forcing sweeping travel bans.

As of Sunday, multiple airlines have cancelled more than 3,300 flights and pre-emptively scrapped over 4,800 flights for Monday, with delays topping 5,000, as airports across the blizzard zone shut down operations ahead of heavy snow and near-whiteout winds.

Officials warned totals could climb as the powerful nor’easter barrels north, with up to 1–2 feet of snow forecast in parts of the region.

Blizzard warnings were issued from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, including Long Island and Boston, as forecasters warned of hurricane-force gusts, quarter-mile visibility and snowfall rates of 2 inches per hour overnight into Monday.

Meteorologists said the storm is likely to meet the criteria of a “bomb cyclone,” rapidly deepening as it tracks along the coast.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a ban on non-emergency travel from 9 pm Sunday to noon Monday and urged residents to stay off roads amid “dangerous blizzard conditions.”

He also cancelled in-person and virtual classes for city schools on Monday, calling 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.

Similar restrictions and emergency measures were rolled out across New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware and Massachusetts as authorities mobilised plough fleets, warming centres and shelter outreach.

The storm has already paralysed transport and daily life across the corridor.

Broadway shows were cancelled, deliveries suspended and major sites such as Arlington Cemetery in Washington shut ahead of Monday.

Officials warned the combination of heavy, wet snow and destructive winds could snap trees, cut power for days and leave roads impassable well into the week as the Northeast braces for one of its most disruptive snowstorms in years.

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