Travel ban imposed, schools shut as ‘potentially historic’ bomb cyclone hits US northeast: Top points

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has issued a travel ban allowing only essential vehicles on the road, amid the extreme winter storm sweeping across US.

Millions of people remained indoors in New York as a massive snowstorm hit the United States northeast on Monday. Up to 22 inches of snow was recorded in some areas, while drivers were advised to stay offthe road and schools were closed.

A person clears a snow covered street during a winter storm in the Manhattan borough of New York City on February 23 (AFP)

The National Weather Service said that heavy snow, high winds and low visibility were "expected to cause dangerous to impossible travel" conditions. The weather service warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm", saying strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions.

Schools shut, blizzard warning issues, top points

• Upto 22 inches of snow: As of 7 am local time, New York witnessed high accumulation of snowfall, with Islip receiving the highest at 22.5 inches. Newark reported 18.3 inches. Central Park and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) both recorded 15.1 inches, while JFK Airport reported 15.0 inches of snowfall, according to NWS.
• Travel ban imposed: New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has issued a travel ban allowing only essential vehicles on the road. "New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade," he said, explaining the state of emergency. “We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel,” Associated Press quoted Mamdani as saying.
• Blizzard warnings issued: From Maryland to Maine, blizzard warnings have been issued seeing the extreme situation. Emergencies were declared in New York, Philadelphia and other cities, as well as several states stretching from Delaware to Massachusetts.
• Over 5,000 flights cancelled: More than 5,000 flights to and from the US have reportedly been cancelled for Monday, AP reported. Most were cancelled in New York, New Jersey and Boston.
• Citizens face power outage: The storm caused power outages that left more than 400,000 citizens in the dark along the East Coast early Monday, including about 146,000 in Massachusetts and 123,000 in New Jersey.
• Classic bomb cyclone: The National Weather Service describes the conditions similar to a “classic bomb cyclone off the Northeast coast. A bomb cyclone is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.
• Public school cancelled: With the travel ban and emergency conditions, New York City and Boston cancelled public school classes for Monday. Meanwhile, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”

Several landmarks and cultural institutions were seen closed on Monday with Broadway shows cancelled.