Faced with the arrival of a violent snowstorm, the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, declared a state of emergency and a temporary ban on travel in the megalopolis of more than eight million inhabitants on Sunday.

Published on: 02/22/2026 - 6:49 p.m. Modified on: 02/23/2026 - 06:30 a.m.

New York in state of emergency. The mayor of the Big Apple, Zohran Mamdani, announced on Sunday February 22 a temporary ban on travel in the megalopolis of more than eight million inhabitants in the face of the arrival of a violent snowstorm.

“New York City has not experienced a storm of this magnitude in the last decade,” he warned during a press conference, urging his citizens to “avoid all non-essential travel.”

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Blizzard weather warnings have been issued in American regions where a total of 40 million inhabitants live, but concern is particularly acute in New York, where up to 70 centimeters of snow are expected in the coming hours, with icy wind gusts reaching 80 km/h.

The megalopolis of eight million inhabitants, already covered in a thin layer of snow on Sunday evening, declared a state of emergency and a traffic ban, which came into force on Sunday at 9 p.m. (2 a.m. GMT), until Monday noon (5 p.m. GMT).

It applies to the majority of transport, from individual cars to commercial vehicles including electric bicycles. It does not concern essential workers or residents who need to travel for emergencies.

Buses, whose wheels have been fitted with chains, can continue to drive and food deliveries remain authorized, even if they are not recommended.

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Significant resources mobilized

This is the second major winter episode that the Democratic mayor has had to deal with since taking office at the start of the year. At the end of January, a long cold snap left at least 18 dead in the city, most of them from hypothermia. In total, this winter storm caused at least 100 deaths in the country, according to the authorities.

Zohran Mamdani announced the mobilization of significant resources to help people in need of housing.

Schools will remain closed on Monday, including for distance learning, a first in seven years.

"And the parents who have to go to work? It's unfair," protested Brandon Smith, a Brooklyn resident interviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP) before the traffic stop. He was concerned about the difficulties that those who cannot telework will encounter.

Tourists, on the other hand, were delighted by the spectacle offered by the first snowfall, like Macarena Gonzalez, from Chile: "I knew it was going to snow a little, but I didn't think it would be that much. But I'm happy, it's a great experience."

The United Nations headquarters in Manhattan will also be closed on Monday and “all planned meetings postponed,” according to an internal statement.

In total in New York State, thousands of snow plows are mobilized, as well as around a hundred members of the National Guard.

The North-East impacted

The megalopolis of New York will not be the only one affected, a good part of the Northeast coast being under alert.

In Boston, where up to 60 cm of snow is expected, schools will be closed on Monday, in the face of a storm which "promises to be of historic magnitude", warned the mayor, Michelle Wu.

Across the Northeast, authorities warned of possible power outages and significant disruptions to road traffic.

More than 8,500 flights were canceled on Sunday and Monday, according to the specialist site FlightAware, with New York airports being the most affected by these cancellations.

Tens of thousands of homes were left without power overnight, including more than 40,000 in New York's neighboring state of New Jersey.

With AFP

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