Mayor to NYC: Stay inside as massive blizzard batters boroughs 

QUEENS, N.Y. (CN) — New York officials are urging residents to stay indoors as a historic blizzard continues to drench the tri-state area in up to two feet of snow.

According to the National Weather Service, more than 16 inches have already fallen between Sunday night and Monday morning in some areas of the five boroughs, with as much as 24 inches expected to accumulate as snow continues to fall throughout the day.

New York City schools have been closed as a result, as have county and federal courthouses around the state — barring emergency applications and some criminal arraignments. 

It’s the first Big Apple blizzard in a decade, bringing powerful winds up to 47 miles per hour and knocking out power in thousands of households around the city, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

But it’s the second major winter storm to touch down in the city in the past 30 days. In late January, intense snowfall and extreme cold left 26 New York City residents dead amid the treacherous conditions. 

“This time, unlike the previous storm, this one is a blizzard,” Mamdani said Monday on News 12 New York. “The best way to stay safe in this storm, frankly, is to stay inside. That’s why we have a travel ban until 12 p.m.”

Mamdani issued the nonessential travel ban after declaring a citywide state of emergency on Sunday night. By that point, several inches of snow had already fallen, coating roads and sidewalks and rendering street signs unreadable.

While the travel ban ended at noon on Monday, a hazardous travel advisory remains in place through midnight, according to Mamdani.

The winter weather has been the new mayor’s first major challenge of his fresh tenure. But he’s insisted that the city has ramped up snow removal efforts since the last storm just weeks ago. 

In addition to roughly 2,600 workers from the New York City Department of Sanitation, Mamdani said Monday that hundreds of emergency snow shovelers — recruited by the city for $19.14 per hour, plus overtime — worked to clear crosswalks, fire hydrants and bus stops on Sunday night and Monday morning.

The city has since upped the pay to $30 per hour “due to the historic nature of this blizzard,” Mamdani told reporters at a press conference Monday afternoon.

“You can walk into any [Department of Sanitation] garage until 8 p.m. this evening, and then starting again at 9 a.m. tomorrow,” the mayor said. “All you need to bring is two forms of ID to ensure you get paid.”

Mamdani added that he was “not aware of any deaths” related to this most recent bout of snowfall, but that the city’s Department of Homeless Services brought 79 unhoused New Yorkers to shelters between Sunday night and Monday morning.

The city has also opened up warming buses and warming centers for New Yorkers in need of shelter from the elements. 

“If you see someone in need of warmth or shelter, please call 311 immediately so outreach workers can assist.” Mamdani said.

Schools will be open for in-person learning on Tuesday, the mayor announced, and city buildings will reopen for the public, too.

But Mamdani encouraged New Yorkers to remain hunkered down for the remainder of Monday, urging them to cook at home instead of ordering in as DoorDash and Grubhub have suspended food deliveries citywide.

Upstate in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul warned state residents to take caution when shoveling the snow, which is significantly denser and heavier than the flakes from last month.

“More people are likely to die from a heart attack during a snowstorm than in an accident or getting hit with a power line,” the Buffalo native told News 12 New York. “So I want people to be smart. Do not bend over from the back. Bend over from the knees when you’re shoveling snow. Push a little at a time when you can.” 

For the New Yorkers at risk of losing power, Con Edison is urging them to keep flashlights and batteries close by and keep mobile devices charged. A company spokesperson told Courthouse News it has secured outside workers to help the staff retain electricity for its customers. 

“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 spokesperson said in a statement.

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