In brief
New York City has received over 4 inches of snow, making it the highest snowfall since January 2022. Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for more than half of the state's counties amid significant travel disruptions, including over 900 flight cancellations and thousands of delays across the country. Hazards remain as temperatures drop and potential ice forms on roads.
New York has woken up to its heaviest snowfall in nearly four years after a winter storm blanketed parts of the US northeast. New York City's Central Park recorded 4.3 inches (11 cm) of snow, its highest since January 2022, while other areas of the state saw up to 7.5 inches, as reported by the National Weather Service (NWS).
In preparation for the storm, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in over half of the counties across the state. On Saturday, travel was severely affected, with more than 900 flights cancelled, primarily in the New York area, and a further 8,000 delays nationwide according to FlightAware.
As the storm progressed, snow accumulations were significant statewide, with areas from Syracuse to Long Island seeing between 6-10 inches of snowfall. Neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut also faced heavy snow, prompting officials to declare emergencies in those states as well.
While the worst of the storm passed by Saturday morning, temperatures remained below freezing, and hazardous road conditions persisted. The NWS alerted residents of potential black ice due to melting snow.
Authorities activated a 'code blue' to provide shelter for homeless individuals as they sought to mitigate the effects of the extreme cold. Meanwhile, further west in California, recent storms have wreaked havoc, leaving behind trails of mud in what has been described as the worst winter storm in recent memory.
