Mamdani puts New Yorkers bracing 26 inches of snow under historic travel ban as map reveals blizzard bomb cyclone’s path of destruction: Live updates

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a citywide travel ban ahead of a catastrophic blizzard that is set to blanket the East Coast in two feet of snow.

Nearly 54 million people along the East Coast are bracing for impact from a major winter storm expected to bring heavy snow, high winds, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast today into Monday.

The Big Apple is preparing for its first blizzard since 2017, and Mamdani place a travel ban across all five boroughs in effect from 9pm ET on Sunday to 12pm ET on Monday.

‘We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside, and stay off the roads,’ he said at a Sunday press conference.

Forecasters have warned that the storm, which is walloping the region from Maryland to Massachusetts, could have historic impacts.

Winter weather conditions are ‘rapidly deteriorating late this afternoon’ and ‘snow accumulations are ramping up from south to north,’ according to the National Weather Service.

Follow along for the latest updates. 

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani orders citywide travel ban

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a citywide travel ban for the Big Apple, effective from 9pm ET on Sunday to 12pm ET on Monday.

‘These are blizzard conditions. New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,’ he said at a Sunday press conference.

‘Due to these factors, we are declaring a state of emergency and instituting a travel ban starting at 9pm this evening and ending at 12pm tomorrow. The state of emergency closes the streets, highways and bridges of New York City for all traffic, cars, trucks, scooters, and ebikes, with some specific exemptions for essential and emergency movement.

‘We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside, and stay off the roads.’

The mayor also detailed the harsh conditions expected to impact the city.

‘In total, this storm is projected to drop between 18 and 24 inches across New York City, coming up to 28 in certain areas,’ he said at a Sunday press conference,’ Mamdani said.

‘New Yorkers should also expect dangerous winds later today. They are predicted to reach 35mph with peak speeds of 40mph and 60mph isolated gusts occurring tomorrow morning around 8.00am.

‘Additionally, temperatures dropping into the 20s overnight will result in slippery streets, sidewalks and extremely hazardous conditions across our city.’

Massachusetts governor declares state of emergency and tells residents to stay off the roads

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy has declared a state of emergency, and urged residents to stay off the roads.

‘Every car that gets stranded, runs down, slips, crashes – you are creating a burden for our first responders who may need to be deployed elsewhere,’ she said.

Travel ban goes into effect in New Jersey

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has issued a ‘full travel ban’ on all roads except the New Jersey Turnpike starting at 9pm Sunday and lasting through 7am on Monday.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont warns ‘This is going to be a bad one’

At a news briefing on Sunday evening, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont warned the storm ‘is going to be a bad one.’

He said that heavy winds along the coast up to 60mph are possible and will be hazardous, potentially causing downed trees.

Power outages are possible as well, the governor said.

He added that the state is prepared to respond to the storm with 800 snowplows.

NJ Transit suspended

NJ Transit is suspending all rail service starting at 9pm.

Some service will end prior to that time, but no trains will begin a new trip from their origin point after 9pm, it said.

DoorDash suspends operations in New York

DoorDash has announced it is suspending operations in New York City starting at 8.30pm ahead of the citywide travel ban.

‘New York City is bracing itself ahead of a historic blizzard – the first in nearly a decade – with a foot of snow or more and dangerous wind gusts expected,’ spokesperson Julian Crowley told ABC 7.

‘We’re suspending operations early to keep Dashers safe and off the streets before the travel ban takes effect.

‘We’re closely monitoring conditions and will resume as soon as it’s safe to do so.’

‘This is the real deal snowstorm,’ meteorologists warn

Travel bans enacted in New York

Travel bans have been enacted in New York ahead of the storm.

A travel ban in New York City begins at 9pm on Sunday and runs through noon on Monday, while travel bans on Long Island run until 9am on Monday and one in Westchester County runs until 10am on Monday.

‘We want people off the roads. You should be doing this voluntarily, but we have the state police who’s going to enforce this, so be aware of that,’ Governor Kathy Hochul said.

‘So that means wherever you are in this region, at 9 o’clock tonight, you’ll have to stay there.’

Take this storm seriously, Gov Hochul warns

The Governor of New York said in a statement on Sunday: ‘New Yorkers should take this storm seriously, prepare now, monitor local forecasts and stay home throughout the duration of the storm.

‘Governor Hochul directed all non-essential State employees who live or work in counties with an active Blizzard Warning to stay home on Monday and work remotely, where feasible.

‘Private employers are also strongly encouraged to allow employees to work remotely on Monday.’

All courthouses in New York will be closed on Monday

New York State has announced that all courthouses in New York City will be closed on Monday because of the incoming blizzard.

Courthouses in the surrounding counties will also be affected.

Only emergency applications will be accepted at some courthouses during the historic storm.

PICTURED: Snow preparations in Massachusetts

Shoppers stocked up on snow supplies ahead of a winter storm in Quincy, Massachusetts on Sunday.

NYC public schools close for first snow day in seven years on Monday

Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that New York City public schools will be closed on Monday due to the storm.

It is the first time in seven years that the nation’s largest public school system will close for a snow day rather than offer remote learning.



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