Blizzard alert in the north-east of the USA New York's mayor closes all traffic due to winter storm
Snow is shoveled on Times Square in New York on Sunday.
Image: Keystone/EPA/Olga Fedorova
In New York, all the snow is paralyzing public life.
Image: dpa
The metropolis of millions is bracing itself for a severe winter storm.
Image: dpa
Snow is shoveled on Times Square in New York on Sunday.
Image: Keystone/EPA/Olga Fedorova
In New York, all the snow is paralyzing public life.
Image: dpa
The metropolis of millions is bracing itself for a severe winter storm.
Image: dpa
Millions of people in the north-east of the USA are facing a severe winter storm. The authorities issue a blizzard warning. The country's largest city closes its roads to traffic.
23.02.2026, 04:43
23.02.2026, 04:50
dpa
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- A severe winter storm with about half a meter of fresh snow is expected in several US states.
- New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani imposes a temporary driving ban.
A heavy snowstorm is sweeping across the north-east of the USA and has caused several states to declare a state of emergency. Blizzard warnings and driving bans have been issued in large parts of the region. Severe weather warnings are in place for around 35 million residents, as reported by US broadcaster CNN. According to meteorologists' forecasts, more than 50 centimetres of fresh snow could fall in some areas.
A blizzard is a strong snowstorm with wind speeds of more than 55 kilometers per hour and visibility below 400 meters, which can temporarily paralyze public life in a region.
Forced break for theaters - schools close
The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, took drastic measures in view of the extreme weather. From Sunday evening (local time) until Monday afternoon, roads, highways and bridges in the largest city in the USA will be closed to traffic. The driving ban applies to cars, trucks, scooters and e-bikes, said Mamdani. Only emergency services are exempt.
Theater performances on New York's Broadway were canceled. Schools, public libraries and other institutions are to remain closed on Monday. Mamdani appealed to people not to leave their homes and apartments. At the same time, the authorities referred to reception centers in the city districts where citizens could seek refuge and warm up. During a severe winter storm in January, 18 people died on the streets of New York.
"Incredibly dangerous" situation in New Jersey
A blizzard warning was also in place in the neighboring state of New Jersey. Governor Mikie Sherrill called on the population to stock up on supplies and not to go out on the streets during the storm. A traffic ban also came into force in New Jersey in the evening. The combination of heavy squalls and large amounts of snow made driving "incredibly dangerous", said Sherrill.
More than 8,000 flights were canceled in the affected region, US media reported, citing the internet portal Flightaware, which tracks flights in US airspace. The situation is particularly critical at airports in the New York, Boston and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.
Plummeting cold records
It was only at the beginning of February that a severe winter storm brought snow, gale-force winds, storm surges and dangerously low temperatures to the south-east of the USA. In the state of North Carolina, localized snowfall was unprecedented since records began around 150 years ago. In Florida, cold records were broken for the month of February: The usually pleasantly warm temperatures dropped below freezing in some places. The last time such values were measured there was at the end of the 1980s.
At the end of January, extreme cold and heavy snowfall had largely brought life to a standstill in many parts of the USA. A winter storm hit the South, Midwest and East Coast of the United States. According to media reports, at least 85 people lost their lives in several states.
