Blizzard warnings and travel shutdowns trap millions at home in northeastern U.S.

A man rides a bicycle in the beginning of an intense snowstorm by 20th Street and First Avenue, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)

NEW YORK — A massive snow storm pummeled the northeast United States on Monday, trapping millions of people in their homes amid strong wind and blizzard warnings, transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures.

The storm hit the metropolitan northeast as accumulations from an earlier snowfall had just melted away -- except for gray mountainous piles in parking lots and along the side of roads. Officials declared emergencies from Delaware to Massachusetts, and hundreds of thousands of people grappled with power failure from downed electrical lines.

Even as digging out began, the National Weather Service warned Monday that perilous conditions could persist.

“The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds will continue to produce blizzard conditions along the Northeastern Seaboard,” the weather service said Monday. “Sharply reduced visibility will make travel extremely treacherous across these areas.”

The weather service referred to the storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter off the Northeast coast.” A bomb cyclone is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.

New York City and Boston canceled public school classes for Monday, while Philadelphia switched to online learning. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”

“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy,” he said.

People begin digging out even as snowfall continues

Trae Story, 31, was doing some shoveling for a neighbor in Brooklyn.

“I’m from Minnesota, so this is like, normal,” he said, adding, “I might’ve broken a sweat. It’s like my warm-up for the day.”

Matthew Wojtkowiak, 57, an attorney, was also shoveling in his Brooklyn neighborhood.

“I’m from the Midwest, so this is in the zone,” he said. “Not too bad, not too easy, either.”

Schools were closed, and he said he hoped people would get out and enjoy the snow.

“We have sleds at the ready,” he said.

The weather service said the snow was expected to taper off by Monday afternoon.

Storm fuels power outages

New York, Philadelphia and other cities, as well as several states, declared emergencies.

More than 5,000 flights in and out of the United States were canceled for Monday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Most were canceled in New York, New Jersey and Boston. Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport announced Monday that it was temporarily ending all airport operations.

Public transit ground to a halt in some areas, while DoorDash suspended deliveries in New York City overnight.

Storm-related power outages plunged more than 500,000 customers into darkness along the East Coast early Monday, including over 212,000 customers in Massachusetts and 128,000 customers in New Jersey, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

About 10,000 customers were without power Monday morning on suburban Long Island. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said utility crews would restore power as soon as possible, but winds of 50 m.p.h (km/h 80) or higher could delay action.

Snow causes travel woes and closures

Commuters in and around New York felt the strain.

In New York City, several subway lines reported severe delays, while the Long Island Rail Road was fully suspended until further notice. Some Metro-North commuter trains between New York City and its suburbs were delayed by up to an hour. New Jersey Transit suspended bus and rail services “until further notice.”

The weather service said strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions and warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor.

“Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages,” said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Boston office. “That’s what we’re most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.”

Outreach workers meanwhile tried to coax homeless New Yorkers into shelters and warming centers.

Various landmarks and cultural institutions were closed Monday, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Broadway shows were canceled Sunday evening.

Shovelers recruited for major snow clearing

In addition to their robust plow operations, New York City officials recruited people to shovel snow, with some beginning work Sunday night, Mamdani said.

John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico. Instead he was preparing his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet (metres) of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.

Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow-removal vehicles.

“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”

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Anthony Izaguirre, Claire Rush, Julie Walker And Adam Geller, The Associated Press

Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York, and Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Contributing were Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy in New York; Darlene Superville in Washington; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.