First Snow Arrives With Blizzard Set To Drop Feet Of Snow On Northeast

Snow is falling across parts of the Northeast on Sunday and is expected to intensify overnight and into Monday, with many regions under blizzard warnings.

Boston, Atlantic City, Portsmouth, and New York City are expected to be among the hardest hit, with meteorologists forecasting more than a foot of snow in some areas. Nearly 100 million people across the region are expected to be impacted by the intense winter conditions, which will be amplified by strong gusts of wind.

The National Weather Service warned that “wet snow and strong winds lasting into Monday” could trigger widespread power outages.

Road conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly as falling temperatures cause slush to refreeze overnight into ice, as conditions escalate into a full blizzard. New York Governor Kathy Hochul painted a grim picture Sunday morning, calling the day the “calm before the storm” and warning that “the worst is yet to come.” She added bluntly, “Lives are at stake.”

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a local state of emergency ahead of the city’s first blizzard warning in nearly a decade. Snow began falling at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, and meteorologists predict around 16 inches of snow will accumulate between Sunday evening and Monday morning, accompanied by wind gusts of 40-60 miles per hour.

In preparation, Mamdani has declared that all roads will be closed to all vehicles, including e-bikes and scooters, beginning at 9 p.m. The closure will last until Monday at 12 p.m. One New York parent reported getting texts in English and French and emails in Bangla and Russian from New York City public schools. Mamdani also canceled school entirely on Monday, shifting away from the remote learning approach used during the city’s last major snowstorm.

The mayor also asked citizens to volunteer and get paid to shovel snow. The initiative drew backlash after participants were required to present identification to sign up for the program. Mamdani defended the policy, saying, “Federal law requires that employers get authorization and documentation to pay people for their work. We are not allowed to just cut checks to individuals for their work.”

In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency, saying, “I am urging you to stay off the roads Sunday through Monday.”

New Jersey is expected to face some of the harshest winds, with gusts reaching 45 miles per hour near the Delaware River and up to 60 miles per hour along the shore. Coastal flooding is also a concern. The National Weather Service said, “One to two feet of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways.”

In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency, also closing schools on Monday along with other government buildings. Forecasters expect temperatures to rise later in the week, which could help alleviate lingering snow and ice impacts once the storm moves out of the region.