Several States Lock Down Amid East Coast Blizzard

A major winter storm has blanketed the East Coast, bringing whipping winds and dumping more than two feet of snow in dozens of towns—conditions that have made it “nearly impossible” to travel across states in the region, according to the National Weather Service.

Several governors have declared states of emergency amid the storm, including some prohibiting commercial land travel. Air travel has also been severely disrupted: tracker FlightAware reported over 5,660 cancellations of flights within, into, or from the U.S. on Monday as of the afternoon, following more than 3,000 cancellations on Sunday. Over half a million people in the U.S. were without power Monday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outages, including close to 300,000 homes in Massachusetts and over 100,000 homes in New Jersey.

As of Monday afternoon, the blizzard had begun leaving New York, but was continuing to rip through New England, with harsh conditions expected to last through the day. Here’s what to know about travel bans and restrictions by state.

Connecticut

Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency across Connecticut on Sunday, and additionally signed an emergency order prohibiting all commercial vehicles on limited access highways from 5 p.m. Sunday. The prohibition did not apply to emergency response and recovery vehicles, such as those for public safety, utilities, or those carrying necessary personnel and supplies.

“Everyone statewide is strongly urged to avoid all unnecessary, non-essential travel,” Lamont said in his announcement. “Plan ahead, get to where you need to be by early Sunday evening, and remain there throughout the duration of the storm.”

Lamont said Monday afternoon that the emergency order had been lifted as of 4 p.m., though he cautioned motorists "to do their best to avoid driving for the remainder of the day on Monday and use absolute caution if they must travel as plow crews continue their work to clear the roads." He told local news that the state had about 700 plows out to clear the highways and make them safe for travel.

Bradley International Airport, the second largest airport in New England, remained open Monday afternoon, but said that 95% of flights were cancelled and that residual cancellations and delays could be expected into Tuesday as airlines worked to return to normal operations.

Delaware

Gov. Matthew Meyer declared a state of emergency Sunday, and imposed a statewide driving warning urging increased caution. Stricter rules were imposed on the Kent and Sussex counties: prohibiting anyone from operating motor vehicles, unless they are lawfully exempted, including if they are designated as essential personnel.

The National Weather Service wrote on social media on Monday afternoon that all winter storm and blizzard warnings in the region had been canceled as the storm left the state, though thousands of Delaware residents were still contending with power outages and impassable roads.

Massachusetts

Snow totals from the National Weather Service on Monday afternoon showed that over 30 inches had fallen in Somerset and New Bedford and over two feet in nine other counties in southeastern Massachusetts, while Boston received 14 inches. 

Gov. Maura Healey’s office said on Sunday that due to severe weather conditions, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority would be operating subway trains and buses at reduced levels through Monday. Rail lines are operating based on their corresponding storm schedules. Meanwhile, all ferry services were suspended Monday.

Beginning Sunday evening, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation imposed travel restrictions on box trucks, tractor-trailer, tandem, and special permit trucks on interstate highways, though truck deliveries of food, fuel, and medical supplies are exempted. 

“It is critical that people stay off the roads tonight and tomorrow,” said Healey, who also activated the National Guard and directed the state’s non-emergency executive branch employees to work from home, while urging private employers to do the same.

Healey then issued a travel ban on Monday afternoon on “non-essential motor vehicle travel” in Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable—which her office described as “particularly hard-hit” counties—due to the blizzard.

“The only people in those places who can drive right now are people like first responders, public emergency personnel, utility crews and the private contractors who are supporting those efforts, food and fuel delivery and medical staff,” Healey said Monday.

Massachusetts has been hit particularly hard by power outages, which were affecting over 285,000 homes in the state on Monday amid punishing wind gusts  that topped 70 miles an hour in some areas of the southeast and Cape Cod. This wind creates low visibility conditions, making it difficult for key electric and gas companies to restore power to customers.

“These are extremely challenging and dangerous conditions for both the public and our crews,” Christopher Laird, Chief Operating Officer of National Grid New England Electric, said in a statement. “While our crews are deployed and ready, weather conditions are expected to limit restoration efforts throughout the day.”

Coastal flooding warnings also remain in place in coastal regions including Nantucket.

New Jersey

By the time precipitation slowed Monday afternoon, the storm had become one of the snowiest in the history of Newark, New Jersey, with snowfall reaching 27.1 inches at Newark International Airport.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill urged all New Jersey residents to “use caution, stay off the roads, and follow all safety protocols during the storm” on Saturday, when she declared a state of emergency for the state to take effect Sunday.

NJ Transit, the state public transportation provider operating the bus, train, and light rail network, suspended services on Sunday. By 6 p.m., bus, light rail, and Access Link services for people with disabilities were halted, and rail service suspension followed at 9 p.m. The operator said it would assess the storm's impacts overnight to determine when it was safe to resume services.

State police also issued a travel restriction on all vehicles—with exemptions for first responders and those with emergency reasons—from operating on state, county, municipal, and interstate roadways from 9 p.m. on Sunday to 7 a.m. on Monday, though the New Jersey Turnpike was exempt from the restriction.

On Monday, NJ Transit officials announced that certain light rail and rail services would resume in the late afternoon and evening, and that restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and traffic exceeding 35 mph would be lifted at 5 p.m. that day.

New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in several counties in New York state. In her announcement, Hochul said that starting 4 p.m. Sunday, empty commercial vehicles and tandem tractor-trailers would be banned from travel on I-84 and all roads south of I-84, including all Thruway system roads. Other commercial vehicles were restricted to the I-84’s right lane, as well as all roadways south of I-84, including the Thruway system roads in Orange, Rockland, and Westchester counties. 

The Long Island Rail Road service, stretching from Manhattan to Suffolk County in Long Island, was suspended by 1 a.m. Monday until conditions improve; it remained paused as of late Monday afternoon. The Metro-North Railroad also limited its services, operating on an hourly schedule on some lines and on a weekend schedule on others.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a local state of emergency. A travel ban was in effect from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 noon Monday, meaning the city’s streets, highways, and bridges were closed to all vehicles, save for essential and emergency trips. “This blizzard is serious,” Mamdani said Sunday. “Stay inside.”

On Monday afternoon, Mamdani lifted the travel ban and announced that public schools would be open for in-person instruction on Tuesday. A blizzard warning is active in the city until 6 p.m. Monday.

“Though the travel ban has lifted, conditions on the road are still icy and dangerous, and we encourage New Yorkers to take public transportation if needed, stay indoors when possible and stay informed through Notify NYC,” Mamdani said in a news release.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which covers the New York metropolitan area, some express subway lines have been operating local routes. Bus services have continued, but road conditions may affect them.

The MTA’s paratransit services stopped taking “access-a-ride” reservations starting at 9 p.m., and the MTA contacted customers who had booked rides after that point to see if they could possibly reschedule their rides for earlier or cancel them altogether. The MTA said Monday that paratransit services were “operating very limited service for essential trips only.”

The Staten Island Ferry also modified its schedule starting at midnight, operating with hourly service until 6 a.m. and then every 30 minutes after 6 a.m. Staten Island Railway subway service was still suspended as of Monday afternoon.