New York City is digging out today after a powerful winter snowstorm dumped heavy snow across the five boroughs on Sunday, leaving some neighborhoods with more than a foot of snow and prompting widespread closures and travel disruptions.
Record Snow Totals Across the City
Snow began falling Sunday morning and continued through much of the afternoon and evening, at times coming down at rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. By Monday morning, official reports showed:
- Central Park (Manhattan): 11.5 inches of snow — the heaviest snowfall in the city in nearly three years.
- Washington Heights (Upper Manhattan): ~15 inches.
- Fordham (The Bronx): ~13 inches.
- Williamsburg (Brooklyn): ~11 inches.
- JFK Airport (Queens): ~10 inches.
- LaGuardia Airport (Queens): ~9.5 inches.
These totals made this storm one of the biggest of the season in New York, with inland parts of the city seeing heaviest accumulations.
City Response
In preparation for the storm, city officials pretreated major roadways and mobilized sanitation crews with snow plows and salt spreaders. New York City’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has been working overnight and into Monday to clear streets, bus stops and key intersections. Additional temporary snow shovelers were hired to help remove snow and ice from crosswalks and sidewalks, especially around transit hubs.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay off the roads when possible, warning that hazardous travel conditions could persist into the morning commute. While subways were largely running on a normal schedule, buses and commuter rail services remain subject to delays and limited routing as crews work to keep vehicles moving.
Closures, Remote Learning, and Travel Disruptions
Due to the storm’s severity:
- NYC public school buildings are closed today (Monday), with students participating in remote learning to prioritize safety while maintaining instructional requirements.
- Public libraries and many city attractions remain closed, and warming centers are open across all five boroughs for residents in need of shelter from the cold.
- Several major airports, including JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, are open but travelers face flight delays and cancellations stemming from the storm’s impact on operations.
- DoorDash temporarily suspended delivery operations in NYC due to hazardous road conditions, with normal service expected to resume later today as conditions improve.
Local cultural institutions such as the Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Central Park Zoo, and Queens Botanical Garden also reported closures or limited hours due to snow and safety concerns.
New Yorkers Celebrate the Snowstorm
Despite the disruption, many New Yorkers embraced the winter weather. Across the city, residents took advantage of fresh snow to go cross-country skiing, sledding, and enjoy snowy strolls through parks and quiet neighborhoods. Families gathered to build snowmen, throw snowballs, and capture wintry photos against iconic city backdrops.
Looking Ahead
Even as snowfall tapers off, temperatures are expected to remain well below freezing throughout the week, keeping snow on the ground and posing risks of black ice on untreated roads and sidewalks. Officials continue to urge caution, advising residents to take precautions when shoveling snow, stay warm indoors when possible, and allow city crews time to clear critical pathways.
