New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has taken the decision to close down the entire traffic network of the city, allowing only emergency travel, in anticipation of a severe snowstorm projected to impact the northeastern United States. The shutdown began at 9:00 pm on Sunday and continued until noon the following day, as a state of emergency was declared, mandating the closure of streets, highways, and bridges for all types of traffic, including cars, trucks, scooters, and E-bikes, Mayor Mamdani confirmed during a press briefing.
The restrictions will not apply to essential workers or individuals in New York City who have urgent travel requirements. With a population exceeding eight million residents, the mayor emphasized the importance of avoiding non-essential travel, noting that the city has not encountered a storm of such magnitude in the past decade.
A rapidly evolving storm system is poised to bring heavy snowfall of a foot or more to the US East Coast, commencing on Sunday, following closely on the heels of a previous destructive weather event. Blizzard warnings have been issued by meteorologists for New York and sections of at least six states, cautioning about the likelihood of heavy snowfall and strong winds affecting major cities along the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor, including Boston, Philadelphia, and even Washington further south.
The National Weather Service (NWS) headquarters has projected snowfall rates exceeding one inch per hour in certain areas along the East Coast, resulting in substantial snow accumulations that could severely impede travel. Widespread power outages are anticipated as the storm progresses.
The significant storm that traversed the eastern part of the country towards the end of January was associated with over 100 fatalities nationwide and caused substantial disruptions, with cities grappling with heavy snow and ice that transformed into solid ice sheets.
Simultaneously, FlightAware data indicated that over 5,000 flights were canceled in the early hours of the day.