New York City began digging out Monday after a winter storm dumped a foot of snow in some neighborhoods, marking the city’s heaviest snowfall in nearly five years.
Snow started falling Sunday morning and intensified through the afternoon, at times coming down at rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour before tapering off by evening and mixing with sleet overnight. Wind gusts reached up to 35 mph at times.
The National Weather Service reported 13.5 inches of snow in the Bronx, the highest total in the city. In Brooklyn, Williamsburg recorded about a foot of snow, while Sheepshead Bay measured 10.5 inches. Central Park officially recorded 11.4 inches by midnight, matching totals in parts of Staten Island.
In Queens, snowfall reached 10.3 inches at John F. Kennedy International Airport and 9.7 inches at LaGuardia Airport.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said city agencies were prepared for the storm, and credited both workers and residents for helping the five boroughs weather it.
“New York was prepared, and New York weathered the storm,” he said at a news briefing. “While the worst is behind us, there is still more to be done as we clear the snow and restore our city.”
The mayor continued to urge residents to stay off the roads if possible, warning that dangerous conditions would persist as sanitation crews continue plowing.
Public transit largely continued operating through the storm.
The MTA said subways were expected to run on a normal schedule for the Monday morning rush, though some express trains were set to operate locally during midday depending on conditions. Buses are running “near-normal service,” though articulated buses remain off the roads, and all Metro-North lines are operating on reduced schedules.
Mamdani encouraged riders to allow extra travel time.
“Our goal is for all services to be fully restored by tomorrow, with all streets cleared, students back at school in person, and our city back to normal,” he said. “Albeit with a lot of snow piled up.”
Air travel was heavily disrupted Sunday, particularly at LaGuardia Airport, where flight operations were suspended during the height of the storm.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports reopened for flight operations Monday, though travelers were urged to check with airlines for cancellations and delays.
City public school students are learning remotely Monday, and public libraries across the city remain closed.
“About 500,000 students are scheduled to be in school on Monday,” Mamdani said. “I did visit a classroom this morning remotely alongside the chancellor and reiterated my offer to students that they could hit me in the face with a snowball. They were very excited about that and asked for a time and place.”
Warming centers are operating in all five boroughs as city workers continue outreach to unhoused New Yorkers following several cold-related deaths over the weekend. Mamdani said enhanced Code Blue protocols have been in place since Friday night.
“Our top priority remains ensuring that every New Yorker can remain safe and warm throughout this prolonged cold period,” he said. “Just because the storm has passed does not mean that the danger to homeless New Yorkers has passed.”
“Outreach teams are only intensifying their efforts today to connect vulnerable New Yorkers to shelter,” he added, urging residents to call 311 if they see someone who may need assistance.
City officials asked residents to be patient with garbage collection as sanitation crews prioritize snow removal.
