NEW YORK (WABC) — A state of emergency and travel ban are both in effect in New York City as a blizzard batters the region.
New York City’s Department of Sanitation is hard at work, spending the overnight and early morning hours clearing a foot of snow from the streets. But the work continues because the snow continues to fall Monday.
ALSO READ: LIVE UPDATES | Blizzard of 2026
During a Monday afternoon press conference, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that public schools would reopen on Tuesday.
“I hope students enjoy their snow day today, and stay warm and safe throughout, but I do have some tough news to share. School will be in-person tomorrow. You can still pelt me with snowballs when you see me,” Mamdani said.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani provides an update on the reopening of public schools, road conditions and snow shoveler pay.
Public school classes were canceled in New York City on Monday. Mamdani called it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”
Meanwhile, alternate side parking is suspended through the weekend because of the blizzard.
New Yorkers can look up the last time their street was plowed at nyc.gov/plownyc.
Mayor Mamdani announced a state of emergency for the city and a travel ban that began at 9 p.m. Sunday and ended at 12 p.m. Monday. While the travel ban has been lifted, the mayor is still urging caution as conditions on the road remain icy.
“If you choose to drive, please exercise caution, travel slowly, and be mindful of others on the road. We continue to advise New Yorkers to stay safe and stay indoors as much as possible,” Mamdani said in a post to social media.
On Monday morning, Mamdani visited the Sanitation Department in Lower Manhattan, where he said things were going well so far.
“You know, it is going well and many New Yorkers are staying home and we appreciate it, this is, these are dangerous conditions, the mixture of this kind of snow with this kind of wind is something that can lead to a lot of danger on our streets and our roads,” Mayor Mamdani said. “And so we’re saying unless you are emergency personnel, unless you have to be outside for some of the work that you are doing, we ask you to stay inside.”
New York was under a blizzard warning for the first time in nearly a decade, and officials urged residents to stay safe and indoors. During the storm, residents can expect dangerous travel conditions and power outages.
Staten Island and New York City ferries discontinued service at 5 p.m. Sunday and will restart late Monday morning, Mamdani said.
The Rockaways in Queens reported thousands of power outages due to the blizzard.
Tanya Rivero reports from The Rockaways.
A Code Blue is in effect for New York City. This happens when temperatures are below freezing and ensures no one is turned away from shelters.
According to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, 22 warming buses will be deployed during the snow storm. New Yorkers can also contact 311 for information on warming spaces and centers across the city.
“Code Blue is in effect, with outreach workers canvassing all five boroughs, 24/7, and helping homeless New Yorkers come inside. Just last night, these outreach workers made 86 placements, bringing homeless New Yorkers inside to safety. Every New Yorker seeking warmth and shelter will be able to find it in our city,” Mamdani said.
All 311 calls related to weather-vulnerable homeless New Yorkers will be rerouted to 911, the mayor said. Outreach workers will canvas across the five boroughs to bring homeless New Yorkers into homeless shelters as well.
New York City’s Emergency Management agency also activated the city’s Winter Weather Emergency Plan and placed the city under a Hazardous Travel Advisory.
The snow began falling Sunday morning and the Department of Sanitation moved to 12-hour shifts, with more than 2,600 workers on each shift to clear streets. The city also has more than 1,000 emergency shovelers who began working Sunday night.
“We have DSNY workers across the city ensuring that every single truck is able to plow and that they have the chains on so that they’re able to actually navigate the city under these kinds of immense conditions,” Mamdani said.
The mayor’s office says while sidewalks are the responsibility of property owners, the Department of Sanitation has expanded geocoded tracking of bus stops, crosswalks, pedestrian ramps and unsheltered bus stops.
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