NYC Winter Storm: Heavy Snow, Sleet, and Travel Disruptions Expected

While Sunday’s snowfall didn’t break any all-time records, it did break records for the date.

The old records for Jan. 25 across the Tri-State Area were:

• Central Park: 10.0″ on Jan. 25, 1905
• LaGuardia: 5.8″ on Jan. 25, 2000
• JFK: 6.2″ on Jan. 25, 2000
• Islip, N.Y.: 3.0″ on Jan. 25, 2000
• Newark, N.J.: 5.5″ on Jan. 25, 2000
• Bridgeport, Conn.: 4.0″ on Jan. 25, 2000

Here’s the observed snow so far on Jan. 25, 2026:

• Central Park: 11.4″
• LaGuardia: 9.4″
• JFK: 8.3″
• Islip, N.Y.: 7.0″
• Newark, N.J.: 10.8″
• Bridgeport, Conn.: 14.5″

The Bee-Line Bus and ParaTransit services will have a delayed start Monday due to the storm, Westchester County officials said.

Service will resume at 10 a.m., though customers should expect detours.

NJ Transit service will resume Monday, but in phases, officials said Sunday.

The Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a weekday schedule Monday, but customers should expect delays and possible select train cancellations.

Bus and Access Link service will be gradually ramped up later Monday morning and afternoon, as conditions allow.

Officials said NJ Transit crews will be working overnight and into the morning to inspect infrastructure and assess storm damage and impacts.

Customers are encouraged to check NJTransit.com or the NJ Transit mobile app for the latest updates.

Ten warming centers are open across the five boroughs to provide safe, heated spaces for New Yorkers as temperatures plunge. The centers, located at high schools, will be open through at least Monday evening.

Here’s where to find them:

• The Bronx
  – Gompers Campus at 455 Southern Blvd.
  – DeWitt Clinton Campusat 100 West Mosholu Parkway
• Manhattan
  – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School at 120 West 46th St.
  – Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics Campus at 260 Pleasant Ave.
• Brooklyn
  – Midwood High School at 2839 Bedford Ave.
  – Urban Assembly for Law and Justice at 283 Adams St.
• Queens
  – Jamaica Campus at 167-01 Gothic Dr.
  – Long Island City High School at 14-30 Broadway
• Staten Island
  – Curtis High School at 105 Hamilton Ave.
  – New Dorp High School at 465 New Dorp Lane

At his news conference Sunday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five New Yorkers were found dead outside Saturday, adding that the medical examiner would determine their cause of death. He said authorities did not believe the five were homeless.

On Sunday, the NYPD said it found another body, for a total of six.

Read more about it here.

New York City streets will be in good shape Monday, but drivers should still use caution, Department of Sanitation Deputy Commissioner Joshua Goodman said.

Speaking to CBS News New York by phone, Goodman urged New Yorkers to stay off the roads Sunday night so that crews can do their jobs. He said a new 12-hour shift started at 6 p.m. Sunday, and those crews will work through the night to clear streets.

“When you get up in the morning, there will still be snow out there, but the roads are gonna be in good shape. They will be open. They will be passable,” Goodman said.

That being said, Goodman stressed that New Yorkers should still drive cautiously and stay home if possible.

“I really wanna emphasize, no matter how good [roads] look, please drive safely. There will still be a lot of snow and a lot of ice out there,” he said. “We’re confident people can get where they need to go, but they should only go where they need to go.”

Watch his full interview here.

Most northern suburban school districts, including White Plains, will have a snow day Monday due to Sunday’s intense storm.

“Snow days for children, when you’re a child, they’re magic. And if we can provide that for them and maintain a safe environment, we’re going to do that,” White Plains Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca said. “We build in three weather emergency days into each calendar.”

The real question is will roads be clear by Tuesday? County Executive Ken Jenkins said the bands of snow will mean tons of it will be carted away.

“There’s not a place to put that snow so now you’re gonna have to have folks move the snow around, find a place to put that so things won’t be as convenient as normal,” Jenkins said.

Click here to watch Aiello’s full report.

As of 7:09 p.m. Sunday, some of largest snow totals in the area were:

In New York City:

• East Elmhurst, Queens: 13.5″

In New Jersey:

Long Island:

Hudson Valley:

Connecticut:

DoorDash said it had temporarily suspended operations in New York City and the surrounding areas due to the winter storm. They’ll remain suspended until Monday at 10 a.m., at least, the company said.

“Due to hazardous conditions, including snow and ice brought by this unprecedented winter storm, we’ve activated our Severe Weather Protocol and temporarily suspended operations in New York City,” DoorDash spokesperson Jenn Rosenberg said. “We encourage everyone in affected areas to follow local guidance and take necessary precautions, and we will resume operations as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

The Southern District of New York said federal court will be closed in all locations Monday due to the storm.

That’s along with the New York State Court system also being closed, except for emergency applications. Only arraignments will be held in New York City at 11 a.m.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke to CBS News New York on Sunday evening and stressed the importance of New Yorkers staying home if possible during the winter storm.

“This is a life-threatening event,” she said. “It is going to be the coldest temperatures that we’ve seen across many parts of the entire state in years.”

Hochul said the state is asking employers who can allow their employees to work remotely Monday to do so to keep people off the roads.

Plows will be out all night long on state roads, and 200 National Guard members have been activated across the state as an “extra set of hands,” Hochul said.

She added that there are 5,500 people deployed across the state to restore power in the event of outages.

Watch her full interview here.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill praised the response of New Jersey residents, first responders and utility crews.

“As you may know, we’re the most densely populated state in the nation, and New Jerseyans made some really good decisions today. They were off the roads. The roads were largely clear. It allowed our emergency responders to get out,” Sherrill told CBS News New York. “I need people to stay off those roads tonight. It is icing up. It is going to get icy quickly overnight.”

Sherrill said the bitter cold will be “creating very dangerous problems for motorists on the roads,” adding it’s a “really good night to stay in.”

Sherrill said the state has brought in mutual aid to assist in the event of power outages. She added she’s concerned about heavy ice on power lines.

Sherrill said that NJ Transit will likely be able to restore some bus service at some point Monday morning, and rail service will return some time later in the day, hopefully.

“If there’s any way you can telework, or delay going to work, or work from home, that would be the best choice tomorrow morning,” Sherrill said.

Watch her full interview here.

The storm created hazardous conditions all across the region. A New York State Police vehicle was struck on the Taconic State Parkway in Dutchess County. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani helped shovel out a car stuck in the snow amid the storm. The incident was caught on video

The mayor joked about it on social media.

“As I have said, there is no task too big or no job too small. Happy to lend a hand and help out New Yorkers. Stay safe!” Mamdani wrote.

Frigid temps had the snow clinging to Long Island roads right away on Sunday, making them as treacherous as officials had warned for days.

Cars that did venture out could be seen fishtailing and getting stuck, even as snow plows from the state, counties and towns tried to keep up.

As the snow then changed over to sleet, road conditions got even worse.

Officials are pleading with residents to stay home and let them finish the job to get roads passable by early Monday.

“We are getting a lot of snow in a short period and that is following up with very cold temperatures. It’s going to take time to get to work, carpool. See if you can work from home, whatever the case may be,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.

New Yorkers are out and about during the storm sweeping through the Tri-State Area. From sledding to sightseeing to jogging, the snow isn’t stopping anyone from enjoying the city.

Kids and adults went sledding in Central Park, while others went to Times Square and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge.

Here’s a look at some of the top snow totals in New York and beyond as of 4:03 p.m.

• New York City: Williamsburg, Brooklyn: 9.7″
• New Jersey: Wayne: 12.0″
• Long Island: Levittown: 12.1″
• Hudson Valley: Hartsdale: 12.5″
• Connecticut: Norwalk: 9.5″

Long Island and New Jersey reached 12 inches of snow on Sunday afternoon.

As of 3:40 p.m., the most snow recorded was 12.1 inches in Levittown, New York. A foot of snow was also on the ground in Wayne, New Jersey.

In New York City, the most snow so far is 9.7 inches in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

North of the city, Chester in Orange County had 10.5 inches and Norwalk, Connecticut, had 9.5 inches.

Here are the highest snow totals around the Tri-State Area as of 3 p.m.:

• NYC: Washington Heights, Manhattan — 8.3 inches
• New Jersey: Wharton, Morris County — 11 inches
• Long Island: Levittown, Nassau County — 12.1 inches
• Hudson Valley: Chester, Orange County — 10.5 inches
• Connecticut: Norwalk, Fairfield County — 9.5 inches

Sherrill said conditions on the roads remain dangerous and icy, even with crews continually plowing and salting.

“Make no mistake, it is best to stay off the roads. Even if you see the snow letting up, we’re still seeing significant icing on the street,” the governor said. “That allows our crews to keep plowing and salting to get those roads up to speed for tomorrow morning. It also allows emergency vehicles to get through.”

To watch Sherrill’s full interview, click here.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined CBS News New York’s special live coverage of the winter storm for an interview.

Sherrill spoke from a DOT maintenance facility in Clark, where she said crews are working around the clock with about 3,400 pounds of salt to clean up Garden State roads.

“We have a lot of complicated operations going on. We pretreated or brined many of the streets here so that they were ready for this,” the governor said. “We moved into plowing operations as we had a lot of that heavy snow coming down. As we’ve gone into this icing situation, we’re now seeing movement into a lot of these salting operations to melt the ice and get down to blacktop as quickly as we can.”

Sayreville, N.J., is looking like a winter wonderland as snow covers homes, trees and cars.

This town in Central New Jersey is forecast to get between four and nine inches of snow.

On Long Island, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine says the storm is creating very challenging conditions.

“We are going to have a long, long cold snap. So the snow that falls today is going to stay there for a long time,” Romaine said. “We know that we have a battle ahead of us. We are fighting that battle. But you make a pass, and you come back a half an hour later, and it’s like you never plowed the road because of the intensive snowfall.”

Romaine said he anticipates roads being passable by Monday morning, and “even in better shape by midday.”

He added MacArthur Airport “seems to be almost totally closed.”

Click here to watch Romaine’s full interview.

All NJ Transit service is now suspended for the day. Rail service ended at 2 p.m., while buses and light rails ended at 4 a.m.

The system-wide suspension will continue until the weather improves, NJ Transit said.

The agency said it will provide updates on Monday service later today.

In New York, the MTA said it will continue train, subway and bus service, but on modified schedules due to the snow.

These are the highest snow totals around the region as of 2:08 p.m.:

• NYC: Washington Heights, Manhattan — 8.3 inches
• Long Island: Matinecock, Nassau County — 9.2 inches
• Hudson Valley: Stony Point and Monsey, Rockland County — 10 inches
• Connecticut: Norwalk, Fairfield County — 7.5 inches

Two huskies were seen pulling their owner on a snowboard through a neighborhood in New Jersey.

The dogs, named Sherlock and Osaka, were having a grand time as they ran down the street in Ocean County.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport has been shut down as the city feels the impact of the strong winter storm.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the airport is closed until at least 8 p.m., with more than 90% of LaGuardia’s flights already canceled.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled across the NYC metropolitan area, including at LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark Liberty.

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, has the most snow in New York City so far with 8.1 inches as of 1:37 p.m.

New Jersey’s leader so far is River Vale, Bergen County, with 9 inches.

The most snow on Long Island so far is in Nesconset, Suffolk County, with 7.9 inches.

Connecticut’s highest total so far is in Norwalk, Connecticut, with 7.5 inches.

Snow is piling up across the Tri-State Area.

These locations have some of the highest amounts so far:

• 7.8 inches in Dongan Hills, Staten Island
• 7.7 inches in Westfield, New Jersey
• 7 inches in Matinecock, Long Island
• 9.5 inches in Thiels, New York
• 6 inches in Norwalk, Connecticut

Mamdani said staying off the roads is “the single most helpful thing that New Yorkers can do” during this storm.

“I cannot emphasize this enough. Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive. One of the reports we received earlier today from [DSNY] is there are still far too many New Yorkers out on the roads. Conditions are dangerous and a hazardous travel advisory is in effect for today and for tomorrow,” he said.

All service is suspended at Port Authority Bus Terminal today.

Mamdani reiterated the city’s Code Blue remains in effect, which means no one can be turned away at homeless shelters, amid life-threatening cold. He said the winter storm is bringing “temperatures colder than any sustained period this city has experienced for eight years.”

“Yesterday alone, before the snow had even begun to come down, at least five New Yorkers passed away and were found outside … While we do not yet know their causes of death, there is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold and how vulnerable many of our neighbors are, especially homeless New Yorkers,” the mayor said.

Mamdani said the city has opened a total of 10 warming centers, two in each borough, at school buildings. They will be availabe through at least Monday evening, he said.

“Food will be provided at each of these sites. That is in addition to the 126 shelters, over 50 hospitals and 35 safe havens where people in need can come in and get warm,” the mayor said.

Mamdani urged all New Yorkers to call 311 if they see anyone who may be in need.

Mamdani acknowledged students may be disappointed about not having a snow day tomorrow, since New York state law mandates 180 days of instruction.

“So if you do see me, feel free to throw a snowball at me,” he said, jokingly.

The mayor said more than 162,000 students and 77,000 teachers logged on today in advance of their remote classes.

Mayor Mamdani is giving an update on New York City’s winter storm response from the Emergency Management Office in Brooklyn.

After announcing remote learning at NYC schools tomorrow, Mamdani said all after-school programs, adult education and school-based programming are canceled.

Newark Public Schools will be closed Monday, which means students in New Jersey’s largest city will have a snow day, Superintendent Roger León announced.

New York City is opting to hold classes remotely tomorrow.

Hochul said the MTA plans to continue operating trains, subways and buses on a weekend schedule through Monday.

“We’ll be focused on snow removal on platforms and near stations, but we’re concerned about keeping people safe as they get to their jobs,” the governor said.

Hochul encouraged employers to let people work remotely Monday, if possible.

To check the status of MTA subway, bus and train lines, click here.

While many people are inside staying warm, some dogs are taking advantage of the snowstorm.

A rescue dog named Leo enjoyed a walk Sunday morning in Bloomfield, N.J. He was seen trotting along the snowy sidewalk outfitted with his boots and red jacket.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York is under an “arctic siege” during her news conference Sunday morning, as she continued her warnings about bone-chilling cold on top of the winter storm.

“We are anticipating the longest cold stretch and the highest snow totals the state has seen in several years,” Hochul said.  “Already, records in the state have been shattered.”

The governor said Watertown, in the far upstate North Country region, recorded -34 degrees Fahrenheit and the town of Copenhagen reached -49 degrees.

“That is not the real-feel. That is not the wind chill. That is the actual temperature,” Hochul said.

Overall, this is an expansive storm system impacting people well beyond the Tri-State Area. While snow is the main concern for us, ice and freezing rain are problems in the south all the way through parts of Arkansas.

More than 30 states are currently under winter weather alerts, including winter storm warnings and ice storm warnings.

Meanwhile, widespread heavy snow is continuing to fall across our region.

It changes over to sleet this afternoon mainly to the south and east, but New York City is forecast to see some mixing too. Tonight, the winter storm tapers back over to show showers.

Some theatergoers will have to make alternate plans, as Broadway shows canceled Sunday performance due to the winter storm.

“Heathers the Musical” scrapped its 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows at New World Stages. Ticketholders can go to their point of purchase for exchanges or refunds, the show said.

“Aladdin” and “The Lion King” canceled their scheduled matinee and evening performances. More information regarding refunds for ticketholders can be found on their websites.

Meanwhile the Manhattan Theatre Club announced a $45 flash sale for tickets to its 2 p.m. matinee for “Bug” at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on West 47th Street. The 7:30 p.m. performance for “The Monsters” at NY City Center on West 55th street is cancelled, it said. Ticketholders can go to their point of purchase for exchanges or refunds.

All NYC Ferry service will be suspended at 11 a.m. due to low visibility until further notice. Officials urged riders to consider alternate routes.

The ferry operates routes along the East River, South Brooklyn, Astoria, Rockaway-Soundview, St. George and the Governors Island Shuttle.

Westchester County declared a state of emergency in anticipation of more than a foot of snow and the most dangerous temperatures in years.

Westchester is fully mobilized with extra 911 dispatchers on standby and emergency services personnel prepositioned to ensure they distressed motorists can be reached as soon as possible.

Rockland County also took precautions. The Clark Town Supervisor said crews are working 16-hour shifts with only a 4-hour break. They expect to carry on like this until Wednesday.

Snowfall rates could reach 1-2 inches per hour, creating whiteout conditions in New York City’s northern suburbs. There’s a significant ice threat too, which could weigh down power lines and turn hills into sheets of ice.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will give an update on the winter storm Sunday morning. She is expected to hold an 11 a.m. news conference in Albany.

You can read about the governor’s remarks here.

The temperature has a huge impact on the types of snowflakes that fall, as well as how many inches of snow piles up.

Thin plates are best for building snowmen and packing snowballs because they hold more moisture. These develop when the weather is between 25-32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Needles develop as the temperature drops to between 21-25 degrees.

Hollow columns and stellar plates form when there’s more air in the flakes, making them more difficult to pack. These occur between 10-21 degrees.

Dendrites, which are how most people visualize snowflakes, form between 3-10 degrees.

New York City announced public schools will have remote classes Monday.

This applies to K-8 students who are scheduled to have school. High schoolers and some 6-8 grade students were already scheduled to have off due to a professional development day.

Mayor Mamdani previously said the schools would not have a traditional snow day Monday, but regular classes were a possibility depending on the storm.

Nearly 200,000 people across the country, including some already in New York and New Jersey, have lost power because of the winter storm, according to the CBS News data team.

Here’s a county-by-county map of data from Find Energy showing where power outages are being reported:

Mayor Mamdani met with Department of Sanitation workers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Sunday morning as his administration takes on its first snowstorm.

Mamdani offered his thanks and encouragement to the workers.

“I really have a very simple message from myself, from the entire team and, frankly, from the entire city of New York, which is just, thank you. The work that you all have been doing has been incredible. It’s not only keeping New Yorkers safe, it’s New Yorkers the peace of mind,” he said.

DSNY said it powered up one of its largest head counts ever for the winter storm, which could be the city’s biggest in years.

The entire New York metropolitan area will be dealing with snow Sunday morning. It started snowing at around 5 a.m. and will get heavy at times.

The storm will become very dynamic by midday when snow will transition to sleet, meaning it could be snowing in the Bronx, but sleeting in Staten Island.

The snow and sleet taper off after 9 p.m., with some dry slots.

Snow showers pick up again Monday morning, but it won’t be anything like today.

New York City’s Acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan said plowable snow could be on the ground soon.

“Right now, we’re seeing about a trace. We think in the next hour or so we could get plowable depth, maybe 2 inches,” Lojan said on CBS News New York.

DSNY has more than 2,200 plows lined up after prep work, including pre-salting streets, started overnight, the commissioner said.

“We initiated full spreading operations around 5 a.m. and we’re going to continue that throughout the city,” he said. “There will be a long day ahead, but I think we’ll be in good shape.”

You can see which streets DSNY has plowed in real time with the PlowNYC online tracker tool.

Full ground stops are possible at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and John. F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday due to the massive winter storm, which has been wreaking havoc on air travel across the country, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

So far, more than 800 flights have been canceled at LGA and more than 900 have been canceled at JFK, according to FlightAware.

New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport is up to nearly 900 flight cancellations, so far.

Temperatures will remain dangerously frigid for the duration of the winter storm. Prolonged exposure to the elements today could result in hypothermia and frostbite, which could take just 30 minutes or less to set in.

Icing during the storm could have severe impacts, including slippery pavement, weighted tree limbs and isolated power outages from just one-quarter of an inch of ice or less. Any more ice accumulation will mean more dangerous travel, lots of tree damage and more scattered power outages.

And of course, the heavy snow means visibility will be low. So be cautious!

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday reassured New Yorkers that city agencies are “thoroughly equipped and we are ready for whatever winter weather comes.”

“Make no mistake, New Yorkers, the full power of this city’s enormous resources are prepared, poised, and ready to be deployed,” Mamdani said.

The Department of Sanitation will deploy it fleet of 2,300 plows once 2 inches of snow are on the ground, which the mayor expects before midday.

“Snow will fall at its heaviest rate in the late morning of tomorrow and early afternoon. Visibility will be very low, winds will be gusting at speeds of up to 35 mph. New Yorkers can expect whiteout or near-blizzard conditions,” Mamdani said

New York City subways and buses will operate during the winter storm, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said this week.

“We have detailed plans in place for storms like this to protect the network, to protect our riders, to protect our employees. We preposition a ton of equipment and personnel,” Lieber said.

Lieber said the bus network “is ready to pick up the slack as it always does in these situations.” All available buses will be outfitted with chains on their tires, but articulated ones will be removed from service for safety reasons.

Lieber also said there are 220 miles of outdoor subway tracks that need special treatment.

“We’ll be focused on making sure that those continue to be operational with our snow-fighting trains, with the de-icing systems,” Lieber said. “The same goes for the commuter railroads.”

In New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced NJ Transit trains will be suspended at 2 p.m. for safety reasons. NJ Transit bus, light rail and Access Link service was suspended at 4 a.m.

In general, areas north and west of New York City are most likely to see over 12 inches of snow. In and around the five boroughs could see 8-12 inches, while locations along the coast may only see 5-10 inches.

If New York City manages a foot of snow or more with this storm, it would be the first time since February 2021.