A massive winter storm battered the northeastern United States on Monday, bringing airports to a near standstill, disrupting public transportation, forcing school closures and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.
The storm, described by meteorologists as the strongest in a decade, dumped record-breaking snow across New York, Boston, Rhode Island and surrounding states, creating hazardous conditions and prompting emergency declarations.
Flights disrupted across major hubs
The storm caused widespread flight cancellations. More than 10,000 flights have been cancelled through Tuesday, with airports in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia seeing the highest number of flight cancellations, according to ABC news citing the data of FlightAware.
Nearly all arrivals and departures were suspended at major airports including Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International and Boston Logan. At LaGuardia, 98% of flights were canceled, while more than 90% of operations were suspended at Kennedy and Newark, according to New York Times.
Nationwide, cancellations affected roughly 1 in 5 flights, a stark contrast to the usual 1% daily cancellations. Airlines including American, Delta, Southwest, United, and JetBlue suspended operations at key hubs in the Northeast.
Travel waivers have been issued, allowing passengers to rebook without fees or request refunds under Department of Transportation rules.
"Delta teams are in close contact with local airport authorities as they focus on significant snow removal, and we will safely resume flights once weather and airport conditions allow," a Delta spokesperson said. JetBlue added, “Our top priority is the safety of our customers and crew members.”
Snowstorm breaks records, halts transit
Meteorologists called Monday's storm a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter,” formed when Arctic air collides with warmer coastal air, dropping heavy wet snow over the region.
A bomb cyclone is a rapidly intensifying storm that forms when atmospheric pressure drops sharply within 24 hours. This rapid strengthening fuels hurricane-force winds, heavy snow, ice and flooding rain.
Central Park in New York City recorded 19 inches of snow, while Warwick, Rhode Island, topped 3 feet. Nantucket experienced wind gusts up to 83 mph, with hurricane-force gusts across Cape Cod.
Public transport was severely impacted. New York City’s subway lines and commuter rails experienced delays and Long Island Rail Road suspended services.
NJ Transit halted bus, rail, and light rail operations. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey suspended AirTrain services at Kennedy Airport, replacing trains with shuttle buses. Delivery services, including DoorDash, also paused operations.
Power outages and emergency responses
The storm caused widespread power disruptions, leaving over 500,000 utility customers without electricity across the East Coast, according to PowerOutage.us.
Authorities in New York, Philadelphia, and several states declared emergencies. Outreach workers sought to assist vulnerable populations, including guiding homeless residents to shelters and warming centers, according to news agency Associated Press.
Schools closed in New York City and Boston, with Philadelphia switching to online learning. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced classes would resume on Tuesday, urging students to “stay cozy.”
Officials warned that downed trees and power lines, resulting from the combination of strong winds and heavy snow, could prolong outages.
Despite the disruptions, some residents and tourists embraced the snowy conditions. In Lower Manhattan, snow shovelers outnumbered office commuters, while tourists danced in Times Square amid the snowfall. Central Park and neighborhood streets became makeshift play and exercise areas, as people navigated the “old-school” snow day for the first time in six years.
Historic sites and cultural institutions, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Arlington National Cemetery, closed due to hazardous conditions. In Connecticut, crews at Mystic Seaport Museum manually cleared snow from historic ships to prevent damage from machinery.
Bryce Williams, a meteorologist in Boston said, “Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages. That’s what we’re most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.”