NYC mayor orders travel ban as city braces for worst blizzard in a decade

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday declared a local state of emergency, as the region braces for its first dangerous blizzard in over a decade.

All non-essential vehicles have been ordered off New York City streets from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday local time.

During this period, streets, highways, bridges and tunnels are closed to regular vehicular traffic.

Subway lines will remain in operation, while Long Island Rail Road service will shut down Sunday evening, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

New York City schools have also been given a snow day for Monday.

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“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority,” the mayor said in a statement. “As this blizzard moves in, our administration is mobilizing every tool at our disposal, around the clock, to keep our neighbors safe.”

Warming centers and mobile warming units will be accessible citywide.

A National Weather Service blizzard warning remains in effect until Monday at 6 p.m. The city could be hit with between 17 and 24 inches of additional snow with wind gusts as high as 60 mph.

“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only,” the NWS warned in a Sunday forecast. “If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.”

The heaviest snows from the approaching nor’easter storm are expected overnight.

Previously, the city hadn’t been under a blizzard warning since 2017. In 2016, a record-breaking blizzard hit New York with up to 27.5 inches of snow in some places, and at least 18 people died.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Saturday declared a state of emergency for Albany, Bronx, Columbia, Greene, Delaware, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester and contiguous counties.

In a news conference, Hochul warned of the approaching “cataclysmic” weather, describing how the forecast had been upgraded from run-of-the-mill February conditions to a “dangerous, fast-moving, potentially life threatening winter storm.”

“It’s time to brace for impact New Yorkers,” she said.

The governor has activated 100 members of the National Guard to support response operations across New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley.

More than 5,600 utility workers are on standby.

Blizzard warnings are in effect in cities and coastal areas across New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Major airlines including Delta, American, and United have grounded flights into New York City and Boston.

The incoming blizzard comes roughly a month after a major winter storm battered New York City.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.