New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday declared a local state of emergency ahead of a severe snowstorm expected to impact the five boroughs.
Total snowfall is expected to range between 16-24 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
City streets will be closed to non-essential vehicular traffic from 9:00pm Sunday to 12:00pm Monday to ensure emergency responders and essential workers can move safely and quickly.
Limited exceptions apply to vehicles providing emergency services, public transportation, medical supplies, food, fuel, utility repairs and other critical services, he said.
New York City Public School buildings, except those operating as warming centers, will be closed on Monday, Feb. 23. There will be a traditional ‘snow day.’ No remote instruction will take place, and all after-school activities are cancelled.
The Emergency Weather Declaration also:
- Suspends alternate side parking for Monday, Feb. 23.
- Directs the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to monitor and enforce against price gouging.
- Instructs New York City Emergency Management, the City of New York Fire Department, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and the New York City Department of Transportation to take all necessary steps to protect public safety.
"This emergency declaration allows us to cut through red tape so emergency vehicles, sanitation crews, and essential workers can move quickly and do their jobs without delay,” Mamdani said in a statement.
Warming Centers and Shelter Access
The New York City Department of Social Services will deploy 22 warming busses citywide. Additional warming spaces are available at 11 NYC Health + Hospital facilities and 13 school locations. New Yorkers should contact 311 or visit a LinkNYC kiosk for the nearest site.
Department of Homeless Services continues to operate under enhanced Code Blue protocols. During Code Blue, shelters operate under an open-door policy. Outreach teams are connecting unsheltered New Yorkers to safe, warm space. During a Code Blue, 311 is routed to 911 so first responders can mobilize quickly to reach the person in need. New Yorkers should call 311 if they see anyone in need of assistance.
New York City Health + Hospitals:
- NYC Health + Hospitals will also deploy WARM (Winter Access, Relief and Medical) ambulettes and mobile units starting on Sunday. The mobile warming outreach initiative will provide clinical consultations, as well as distribute essential supplies including blankets, warm clothing, socks, warm meals, and water. The units will also drive unsheltered New Yorkers to a warm place of their choosing (shelter, warming center, etc).
- NYC Health + Hospitals will be in constant communication to ensure adequate staffing and that patients know their options for care. For patient safety, the health care system has converted most in-person Monday clinic appointments to telehealth visits, as clinically appropriate. It will also quickly reschedule any missed appointment.
- The City is directing all hospitals to exercise heightened caution when discharging patients, particularly vulnerable patients, during the cold weather. The City has also directed shelters and safe havens to monitor the areas around their buildings for any New Yorkers in need.
MTA:
New York City Subway
NYC Transit continues to run modified service through the storm. Express service will run principally on the local tracks and starting this evening, modified service will be in effect in the Rockaways, with shuttle trains running between Euclid Avenue and the Rockaways and serving all stations.
Long Island Rail Road
At 1:00am Monday, Feb. 23, the LIRR will temporarily suspend all service until weather conditions allow for safe resumption. This proactive suspension allows crews to focus on snow-clearing efforts from this extreme winter weather event, which includes projected extreme velocity winds on eastern Long Island, to provide safe and reliable service when possible.
Starting at 7:00pm, Sunday, Feb. 22, service will be reduced to hourly on the Port Jefferson, Port Washington branches, and half-hourly on the Babylon Branch.
Metro-North Railroad
On Monday, Feb. 23, Metro-North will operate on an hourly service schedule, with weekend schedules in place on the branch lines. The Hudson Rail Link connecting bus will be suspended. The shuttle buses that have been substituting for the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry due to river ice will also be suspended.
Protective heat circuits have been verified to be operational, air brake lines purged of any moisture to prevent them from freezing, and electric trains have been fitted with special third rail shoes to prevent snow from accumulating. Switches – the interlocking tracks that allow rail traffic controllers to route trains from one track to another – use electric switch heaters to melt snow.
Con Edison:
- Con Edison has mobilized additional crews, has mutual aid on standby, and will be working 24/7 to respond to any weather-related service issues.
- Con Edison has crews are also prepared to respond swiftly and safely to any weather-related service issues or outages that can result when road salt mixes with melting snow.
- Con Edison has deployed additional staffing of crews in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx to maintain service of our underground system. We have secured underground mutual aid contractors to assist as well in Brooklyn/Queens.
- Each operating region will have around the clock ICS coverage beginning Sunday at 6:00pm through Monday.
- Con Edison remains in close coordination with New York City Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to support a unified response.
- Con Edison has opened a Situation Room and is holding twice a day calls to stay coordinated.
- The company prepares year‑round for extreme conditions through regular training, emergency response drills with local agencies, and continued investments to deliver resilient and reliable energy as extreme weather becomes more frequent.
- The company urges the public to prioritize safety by staying clear of downed wires, which may be live, and reporting them immediately to Con Edison or by calling 911.
- Customers can report outages and check restoration updates at conEd.com, through the Con Edison mobile app, or by calling 1‑800‑75‑CONED (1‑800‑752‑6633).
