New York City closes roads as blizzard batters Northeast with 3-in-per-hour snow

New York City closed its roads to all vehicles beginning at 9 p.m., with Mayor Zohran Mamdani announcing earlier Sunday that streets, bridges and highways would be "closed to all vehicles" through noon on Monday except for essential and emergency trips, as a historic nor'easter dumped snow at rates up to 1 to 3 inches per hour in many places. GoodMorningAmerica reported more than 5,000 U.S. flights canceled Monday and said governors in New York and New Jersey had issued states of emergency as the storm produced hurricane-force coastal gusts and widespread outages.

Officials and forecasts described a sweeping impact. GoodMorningAmerica and ABC News gave differing tallies for the population under warnings: GMA said 40 million Americans were under blizzard warnings with another 14 million facing winter-storm warnings, while ABC's live updates put the blizzard-warning population at nearly 30 million with 20 million under winter-storm warnings. The New York Times cited "over 35 million" people from eastern Maryland to eastern Massachusetts under blizzard warnings. Forecasters recommend National Weather Service advisories for definitive, up-to-the-minute counts.

Forecasts and live National Weather Service guidance showed locally extreme snowfall. FOX Weather warned Boston, New York City and Philadelphia were in the storm's bull's-eye with potential totals of 18 to 24 inches for each city and peak rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour in some spots. The Taunton Gazette, citing the NWS, said Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts could see 2 to 3 inches per hour from about 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., then taper to 1 to 2 inches per hour, with some Massachusetts locations poised to receive up to 30 inches. ABC News' Victoria Arancio reported forecasts of 12 to 18 inches for Philadelphia and coastal areas. GoodMorningAmerica used "thundersnow" in live coverage as heavy bands moved through.

High winds and outages amplified dangers. GMA said winds could reach 55 mph in New York City and 75 mph in Boston, while the Taunton Gazette noted coastal gusts up to 70 mph. Utilities reported major disruptions: GMA cited more than 100,000 customers without power in New Jersey, 67,000 in Delaware and 39,000 in Massachusetts. Airports in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia were among the hardest hit by cancellations, and ABC News said train service was suspended in parts of New York and New Jersey.

State and city leaders mobilized emergency plans. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency and said, "This is a serious storm." Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote on X that he had signed a disaster declaration "ahead of this evening's storm — making sure our state agencies have every resource they need to prepare and keep people safe." Mayor Mamdani urged residents to shelter in place, saying, "Staying home means you are staying safe." Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency and ordered a parking ban starting Sunday afternoon, with towing on major arteries.

Historic comparisons underscored the storm's rarity and risk. The New York Times noted several prior major blizzards, including a Jan. 22 to 24, 2016 event that dropped 27.5 inches in Central Park and produced rates up to three inches per hour. Multiple outlets said this was New York City's first blizzard warning in nearly a decade.

Officials urged residents to avoid travel, follow state and local emergency channels and consult the National Weather Service's live snowfall maps for ongoing totals and safety guidance.