New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a citywide travel ban ahead of a catastrophic blizzard that is set to blanket the East Coast in two feet of snow.
Nearly 54 million people along the East Coast are bracing for impact from a major winter storm expected to bring heavy snow, high winds, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast today into Monday.
The Big Apple is preparing for its first blizzard since 2017, and Mamdani place a travel ban across all five boroughs in effect from 9pm ET on Sunday to 12pm ET on Monday.
‘We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside, and stay off the roads,’ he said at a Sunday press conference.
Forecasters have warned that the storm, which is walloping the region from Maryland to Massachusetts, could have historic impacts.
Winter weather conditions are ‘rapidly deteriorating late this afternoon’ and ‘snow accumulations are ramping up from south to north,’ according to the National Weather Service.
Follow along for the latest updates.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani orders citywide travel ban
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a citywide travel ban for the Big Apple, effective from 9pm ET on Sunday to 12pm ET on Monday.
‘These are blizzard conditions. New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,’ he said at a Sunday press conference.
‘Due to these factors, we are declaring a state of emergency and instituting a travel ban starting at 9pm this evening and ending at 12pm tomorrow. The state of emergency closes the streets, highways and bridges of New York City for all traffic, cars, trucks, scooters, and ebikes, with some specific exemptions foressential and emergency movement.
‘We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside, and stay off the roads.’
The mayor also detailed the harsh conditions expected to impact the city.
‘In total, this storm is projected to drop between 18 and 24 inches across New York City, coming up to 28 in certain areas,’ he said at a Sunday press conference,’ Mamdani said.
‘New Yorkers should also expect dangerous winds later today. They are predicted to reach 35mph with peak speeds of 40mph and 60mph isolated gusts occurring tomorrow morning around 8.00am.
‘Additionally, temperatures dropping into the 20s overnight will result in slippery streets, sidewalks and extremely hazardous conditions across our city.’
Dire warning for East Coast as bomb cyclone blizzard brings New York’s airports to their knees
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the ‘potent’ Nor’easter will cause blizzard conditions and ‘impossible travel’ along the I-95 corridor from Baltimore to Boston.
Nearly 54 million people reside in the path of the storm that could dump up to two feet of snow – or 26 inches – and reach wind gusts up to 70mph.
Meteorologists have warned that this type of weather event is extremely rare – and will be spoken about for decades to come because of the intense impact it will have.
The blizzard is set to rewrite the rule book on storms, as the Nor’easter will turn into a bomb cyclone, meaning it will intensify rapidly and could have historic impacts.
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Mamdani puts New Yorkers bracing 26 inches of snow under historic travel ban as map reveals blizzard bomb cyclone’s path of destruction: Live updates
