Record-Breaking Blizzard Paralyzes USA Northeast, Dumping Over Two Feet of Snow

By Web Desk :

A powerful winter storm has battered the northeastern United States, dumping more than 30 inches of snow in some areas and bringing travel to a standstill for millions of residents across the region.

The blizzard, which began Monday, forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed schools and government offices, and left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power as fierce winds created massive snowdrifts.

New York City bore the brunt of the storm, with Central Park recording more than 19 inches of snow by early Monday afternoon. Boston saw over 14 inches accumulate, while Providence, Rhode Island, was buried under a record-breaking 32 inches, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Centre.

“It’ll probably take a week to dig out,” said meteorologist Bob Oravec.

States of Emergency Declared

At least seven states declared emergencies in response to the storm. New York Governor Kathy Hochul activated 100 National Guard members to assist in Long Island, New York City, and the lower Hudson Valley—areas expected to experience the heaviest snowfall and strongest coastal winds.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that while the travel ban had ended at noon Tuesday, a hazardous travel advisory remained in effect through midnight. “New York remains in a state of emergency,” he said, urging residents to stay off roads to allow emergency crews to clear streets.

Schools across New York and throughout the region remained closed, and Broadway theatres shut their doors. Even the United Nations headquarters complex in Manhattan was forced to close Monday.

Travel Chaos

The storm wreaked havoc on travel, with airlines cancelling more than 7,400 flights by Monday afternoon and delaying another 2,300, according to tracking site FlightAware.com. The disruptions extended into Tuesday, with more than 1,800 additional flights already cancelled. Major airports affected included New York’s John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia, Boston’s Logan, and New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International.

Train and bus commuter lines in New Jersey were halted, while the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority suspended all service through Monday, announcing it would only resume operations when conditions improved. Connecticut barred commercial vehicles from limited-access highways, with exceptions only for emergency and essential deliveries.

Power Outages Widespread

More than 608,000 homes and businesses across the United States had lost power by Monday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. Massachusetts was particularly hard hit, with one in ten of the nearly 3 million power customers tracked in the state experiencing outages.

Winds reaching between 40 and 60 miles per hour created snowdrifts several feet high, complicating cleanup efforts and increasing hazards for residents.

Residents Ride Out the Storm

Many residents expressed astonishment at the storm’s intensity. Sandra Wu, a 53-year-old veterinarian living in New Hyde Park on Long Island, said she had never witnessed such severe winter weather in her two decades in the area. Her family could not open their front door and could barely see out of some windows due to towering snowdrifts.

“My husband went out early through the garage to start digging us out, but it was pointless,” Wu said. She noted that the storm, which dropped about 18 inches in her area, reminded her of winters in Buffalo during the 1990s.

Her two children, ages 13 and five, were delighted by the unexpected snow day and slept in. “We thought we’d lose power, thankfully not,” Wu added. “So we’re baking today. There’s nothing else to do while we wait for the snow to stop.”

Even cruise ships were caught in the storm. Wu’s elderly in-laws remained stranded on a vessel docked in New York Harbour, unable to depart for the Bahamas as planned. Despite the delay, she said they were enjoying themselves. “They are having the best time with 20 of their friends, eating well with plenty of entertainment,” while they wait for the storm to pass.

Federal Response

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that despite the ongoing funding lapse affecting the department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster-response operations would continue uninterrupted. This includes staff travel, emergency operations, and critical assistance for people affected by active disasters.

Last week, Reuters reported that the Trump administration had ordered FEMA to suspend the deployment of hundreds of aid workers to disaster-affected areas while DHS remained shut down a directive that has now been clarified as the storm bears down on the region.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared an emergency and instructed state workers to remain home, joining other state leaders in urging residents to prioritize safety as the region digs out from under historic snowfall.