The US imposed travel restrictions and widespread cancellations on Sunday as a powerful winter storm advanced across the Northeast, triggering blizzard warnings from Maryland to Massachusetts.
New York City and New Jersey announced travel bans, airlines grounded thousands of flights, and Broadway shows were called off as heavy snow and strong winds reduced visibility and disrupted daily life. Forecasters said up to two feet of snow could fall in many areas, and officials urged residents to avoid non-essential travel.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major nor’easter and major blizzard of this magnitude across the Northeast,” Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center said, as cited by AP. “This is definitely a major winter storm and a major impact for this part of the country.”
New York City could receive between 16 and 24 inches of snow, potentially marking its heaviest snowfall since 2016, when a record 27.5 inches blanketed Central Park, the National Weather Service said.
The storm is expected to batter the wider Northeast, with up to 24 inches forecast for parts of Massachusetts and 8 to 12 inches in sections of Pennsylvania.
Forecasters also warned of wind gusts of up to 55 mph in the New York region and a risk of coastal flooding in parts of New Jersey and New York, including the Bronx and Queens. More than 35 million people from eastern Maryland to eastern Massachusetts are under blizzard warnings through Monday.
Air India issues advisory
Air India issued a travel advisory and said it has cancelled flights to and from New York and Newark scheduled for February 24 due to severe blizzard conditions affecting airport operations.
In a statement, the airline said the decision was taken to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, adding that ground teams will assist affected travellers with support and rebooking arrangements.
Travel bans and emergency alerts roll out
The US National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for New York City and Long Island, Boston, and coastal areas across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as authorities ramped up emergency preparations.
States of emergency were declared in New York City and across parts of New York state, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ban on non-emergency travel from 9.00 pm (local time) on Sunday until noon Monday, with similar restrictions planned in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and other parts of the region. Emergency alerts urged residents to stay off roads amid dangerous blizzard conditions.
About 3,500 domestic and international flights in the United States had been cancelled by Sunday afternoon, more than six times the number cancelled the previous day, according to FlightAware.
New York’s Kennedy and LaGuardia airports were among the hardest hit, with around 40 per cent of scheduled flights grounded.
In Washington, DC, landmarks, including Arlington National Cemetery,y announced closures on Monday.
Forecasters surprised as storm menaces with historic snow
Unlike previous storms that gave ample warning, this winter storm intensified unexpectedly, catching even some meteorologists off guard. As late as Friday morning, forecasts ranged from a total miss to a minor dusting or a major snow event, with a light dusting seen as most likely.
By Friday afternoon, atmospheric changes pushed models toward a stronger outcome. The storm was predicted to develop off the mid-Atlantic, rapidly intensify near the coast, and bring heavy snow and strong northeast winds to coastal cities in the Northeast.
Initially, the National Weather Service projected 6 to 12 inches of snow, but by Saturday, forecasters recognised the storm as a classic nor’easter. By Sunday morning, forecasts for New York City had jumped to 16 to 24 inches, potentially marking the fourth-largest snowfall in Central Park since the 19th century.
Bomb cyclone
The storm could qualify as a bomb cyclone, a term used when a storm intensifies rapidly, with its barometric pressure dropping at least 24 millibars within 24 hours.
Forecasters said this storm’s pressure is expected to fall 24 millibars in less than 12 hours. While bomb cyclones can occur in any season, they are most common in fall and winter, when frigid Arctic air moves south and clashes with warmer air masses.