A powerful winter storm with blizzard conditions is paralyzing the northeastern United States this Monday, leaving snow accumulations exceeding 60 centimeters in some areas of New Jersey and nearly reaching 40 cm in New York City, threatening to break historical records in the Big Apple. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 15.1 inches (38.3 cm) of snow had been recorded in Central Park by 07:00 local time. If it exceeds 20.9 inches, this storm would enter the top five most intense snowfalls on record in New York, whose absolute record is 27.5 inches (69.8 cm), set in January 2016. Total snowfall has already surpassed two feet (61 cm) in some areas of New Jersey, with 24.2 inches (61.5 cm) recorded in Freehold by 8 a.m. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has imposed a travel ban for non-essential vehicles for the duration of the bad weather. This has led to iconic spaces of the Big Apple, such as Times Square, being completely empty. However, it is expected that when the snow stops in the city, the parks will fill with children, as the 900,000 students in New York City's public schools are enjoying a 'snow day', with both in-person and remote classes completely canceled. This harsh winter has already claimed the lives of more than 20 people (most of them homeless) due to the low temperatures. This is why Mamdani announced today in an interview with News12 the activation of 100 additional beds in a shelter in Upper Manhattan. Meanwhile, the state governor, Kathy Hochul, confirmed the suspension of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and warned that power outages are already affecting 20,000 New York households. The magnitude of the storm has forced the cancellation of more than 5,300 flights across the country this Monday. In the region's main connection hubs—John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports in New York, and Logan in Boston—90% of operations remain suspended.
