New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Sunday an evening curfew until Monday morning for the city of over eight million inhabitants in anticipation of a severe snowstorm.
“The city of New York has not seen a storm of this magnitude in the past decade,” he warned at a press conference, urging residents to avoid all non-essential travel.
With heavy snowfall and strong winds expected, the most populous city in the United States declared a state of emergency and a ban on movement from 9:00 pm Sunday to noon on Monday.
“This will result in the closure of streets, highways, and bridges in New York City to all traffic, including cars, trucks, scooters, and electric bicycles,” he specified. “Some essential and urgent travel will be allowed,” he added.
Authorities in New York expect weather conditions to deteriorate throughout Sunday, with significant snowfall expected into Monday.
“Between 45 and 60 cm of snow, possibly up to over 70 cm in some areas,” Mamdani warned. Strong winds are also predicted.
As a result, schools will remain closed on Monday, and the city is deploying significant resources to help those in need of housing.
The United Nations headquarters will also be closed on Monday, with all scheduled meetings postponed according to an internal statement.
The New York metropolitan area is not the only one affected, as a large portion of the northeastern coast of the United States is under alert.
In Boston, authorities have issued a “snow alert” and announced school closures on Monday, with up to 60 cm of snow expected.
The National Weather Service warned of “heavy snowfall, strong winds, and coastal flooding” from a major winter storm, which could result in power outages and make travel impossible along the I-95 highway corridor from northern Baltimore to Boston.
Over 3,500 flights had already been canceled by Sunday, with airports in New York being the most affected by the cancellations.
A major winter storm had already swept through the region and much of the southern United States at the end of January, resulting in over 100 deaths according to authorities.
