Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today declared a local state of emergency ahead of a severe snowstorm expected to impact New York City. To ensure emergency responders and essential workers can move safely and quickly, city streets will be closed to non-essential vehicular traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday.
Limited exceptions apply to vehicles providing emergency services, public transportation, medical supplies, food, fuel, utility repairs and other critical services.
Mayor Mamdani also announced that all New York City Public School buildings, except those operating as warming centers, will be closed on Monday, Feb. 23. There will be a traditional 'snow day.' No remote instruction will take place, and all after-school activities are cancelled.
In coordination with the New York State Education Department, New York City has received a waiver from the 180-day instructional requirement to prioritize the safety of students, staff and families.
The Emergency Weather Declaration also:
- Suspends Alternate Side Parking for Monday, Feb. 23.
- Directs the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to monitor and enforce against price gouging.
- Instructs New York City Emergency Management, the City of New York Fire Department, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and the New York City Department of Transportation to take all necessary steps to protect public safety.
The order takes effect immediately and remains in effect for five days, except where otherwise limited, and unless extended or revoked.
City government has mobilized a coordinated, multi-agency response to clear roads, protect vulnerable New Yorkers, and maintain essential services.
"The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority. As this blizzard moves in, our administration is mobilizing every tool at our disposal, around the clock, to keep our neighbors safe. This emergency declaration allows us to cut through red tape so emergency vehicles, sanitation crews, and essential workers can move quickly and do their jobs without delay," said Mayor Mamdani. "Out of an abundance of caution, schools will be closed tomorrow. We've also opened warming centers in all five boroughs to make sure no one is left out in the cold. I'm urging every New Yorker to please stay home. Check in on your neighbors, especially seniors and those who may need extra support. This declaration strengthens our ability to back up our first responders as they put themselves on the line, and it protects working families from price gouging during this storm. In moments like this, we show who we are as a city - we take care of each other."
About the Local State of Emergency:
The declaration establishes a temporary citywide travel restriction by closing NYC streets, highways, bridges and tunnels to vehicular traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday. Most vehicle traffic - including but not limited to commercial trucks, electric bicycles, scooters, and mopeds - is prohibited during that period, except for authorized categories.
Exempt vehicles include:
- Government and emergency response vehicles
- Public transit, including MTA buses and Access-A-Ride
- Vehicles delivering food, fuel and medical supplies
- Utility vehicles performing emergency repairs
- Transportation for essential workers traveling to workplaces, including health care facilities, pharmacies, grostores, gas stations, media outlets, hotels and laundrom
- Transportation to hospitals and court facilities
- Nonprofit and private organizations providing emergency relief
City offices will be closed for in-person services on Monday. Essential employees must report to work; nonessential employees may telework. Violations of travel restrictions are punishable as a Class B misdemeanor.
Warming Centers and Shelter Access
The New York City Department of Social Services will deploy 22 warming busses citywide. Additional warming spaces are available at 11 NYC Health + Hospital facilities and 13 school locations. New Yorkers should contact 311 or visit a LinkNYC kiosk for the nearest site.
Department of Homeless Services (DHS) continues to operate under enhanced Code Blue protocols. During Code Blue, shelters operate under an open-door policy. Outreach teams are connecting unsheltered New Yorkers to safe, warm space. During a Code Blue, 311 is routed to 911 so first responders can mobilize quickly to reach the person in need. New Yorkers should call 311 if they see anyone in need of assistance.
New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H):
- NYC Health + Hospitals will also deploy WARM (Winter Access, Relief and Medical) ambulettes and mobile units starting today. The mobile warming outreach initiative will provide clinical consultations, as well as distribute essential supplies including blankets, warm clothing, socks, warm meals, and water. The units will also drive unsheltered New Yorkers to a warm place of their choosing (shelter, warming center, etc).
- NYC Health + Hospitals will be in constant communication to ensure adequate staffing and that patients know their options for care. For patient safety, the health care system has converted most in-person Monday clinic appointments to telehealth visits, as clinically appropriate. It will also quickly reschedule any missed appointment.
- The City is directing all hospitals to exercise heightened caution when discharging patients, particularly vulnerable patients, during the cold weather. The City has also directed shelters and safe havens to monitor the areas around their buildings for any New Yorkers in need.
Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH):
- The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is informing New Yorkers about how they can stay safe and warm, including by sharing recommendations on preparing for the winter storm, and what to do if you lose heat or hot water in your home.
- All New Yorkers should take caution when using drugs or alcohol outside, as cold exposure increases risk. To best protect New Yorkers, the NYC Health Department is providing support to OnPoint so their Wellness Hubs remain open 24/7 through the blizzard to help community members seeking warmth and services.
- Older New Yorkers should stay indoors, avoid shoveling, and take steps to prevent slips and falls. Older adult centers will be closed on Monday.
- Infants, seniors, and people with paralysis or neuropathy are at increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors who may need assistance to ensure they are adequately protected from the cold. Recognize the signs and symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia:
- Hypothermia: symptoms include slurred speech, sluggishness, confusion, dizziness, shallow breathing, unusual behavior, and slow, irregular heartbeat.
- Frostbite: symptoms include gray, white or yellow discoloration, numbness, and waxy feeling skin.
- The City is also mandating that a path of at least 4 feet must be cleared across all sidewalks to accommodate wheelchairs.
New York City Fire Department (FDNY):
- Starting Sunday at 6 p.m., there will be five firefighters on all Engine Companies, with additional staffing citywide.
- Four high-axle vehicles will be deployed, 1 in Staten Island, 1 in Queens, 1 in Brooklyn, and 1 in the Bronx.
- FDNY will deploy ten Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV) for Cold Calls, 2 per borough. Each RRV will be staffed with 1 officer and 2 Firefighters.
- Thawing apparatus deployed to all fires.
- All ambulances will be equipped with chains.
- Trainings will be canceled and scheduled members will be utilized in the field.
- Extra staffing will be added for EMS.
New York City Police Department (NYPD):
- NYPD Highway Patrol will be escorting DSNY to help salt and plow streets.
- Tow truck task force is activated and trucks will be pre-staged across the city to assist any motorists who are stuck.
- Additional high-water rescue teams have been activated since moderate coastal flooding is expected.
New York City Public Schools (NYCPS):
- NYCPS facilities teams are working around the clock to shovel and de-ice school buildings, ensure adequate heating and backup power protocols are in place, and confirm emergency supplies are ready.
- Clear and consistent communication with families remains a priority, with updates being shared in all NYCPS languages through letters, emails, SMS messages, social media, robocalls and website postings.
Public Transit and Ferries:
- With the anticipated winter weather conditions, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advises customers to check MTA.info or the MTA app for subway and bus service updates, and the TrainTime app for commuter rail information before traveling. Most subway lines will still operate local service, and scheduled track work has been suspended. Bus service may be adjusted based on road conditions.
- Crews across subways, railroads, and buses are working to keep service moving during the storm. Subway and railroad teams are monitoring switches and tracks, while clearing snow from platforms, stairs, and entrances.
- Longer accordion-style buses have been replaced with 40-foot standard buses equipped with chained wheels.
- Bus service will be adjusted based on road conditions around the city and service curtailments on a route-by-route basis are possible.
- From 7 p.m. Sunday to 10 .a.m. Monday, empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks are prohibited on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Cross-Bay Bridge, Henry Hudson Bridge, Marine Parkway Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
- Staten Island Ferry service will switch to an hourly schedule at midnight. Half hour service will be offered starting at 6 am.
- Scooter share service stopped this morning at 6 am.
- CitiBike service will halt at 8 pm.
New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM):
- NYC Emergency Management activated the City's Winter Weather Emergency Plan and issued a Hazardous Travel Advisory for Sunday, February 22 and Monday, February 23.
- NYCEM activated a hybrid Emergency Operations Center with agency partners, convened daily Winter Weather Steering Committee calls, and is staffing Con Edison Distribution Engineering Situation Room calls. NYCEM is issuing Citywide Impact Summaries every two hours to city agencies, while the Tow Truck Task Force operates under open line coordination.
- NYCEM, DSS, and City Hall are activating Warming Bus Operations, coordinating locations, signage, vendor deployment, and 311 updates. NYCEM is maintaining coordinated outreach with elected officials, private sector, health and medical, COOP partners, and community stakeholders.
New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY):
- The Department of Sanitation has been responding to this storm since yesterday, and all collection trucks and salt spreaders are now affixed with plows and chains. The Department has been in full-force operations since 6am this morning, with 2600 Sanitation Workers now deployed on each successive 12-hour shift. 700 Salt Spreaders are loaded and thousands of plows are ready to roll.
- DSNY has called in hundreds of pieces of hired equipment and thousands of paid Emergency Snow Shovelers, far earlier than in prior snow events. New strategies and data tracking are being deployed to more quickly and efficiently address crosswalks, bus stops, and other pedestrian infrastructure.
- Property owners are reminded to clear a four-foot path to allow safe passage for wheelchairs and strollers after end of precipitation.
- The same sanitation workers fighting this storm also pick up your trash, and collection will be delayed following this storm. We are asking residents with Monday recycling to HOLD that material to the following week, as is common after some holidays.
- Staying off the roads tonight will allow New York's Strongest to work safer and faster in these extremely challenging conditions.
Housing Preservation and Development (HPD):
- HPD has code inspectors and staff from the Emergency Repair Program team working overtime this weekend to respond to 311 complaints, conduct inspections, and coordinate emergency repairs when warranted
- If New Yorkers have issues with the heat or hot water in their apartment, they should call their landlord. If they do not quickly respond, tenants should call 311 and a uniformed HPD inspector will come, conduct an inspection, issue violations and if warranted, coordinate emergency repairs.
Department of Buildings (DOB):
- DOB issued a weather advisory to builders, contractors, crane operators, and property owners, reminding them of their responsibility to properly secure construction sites, buildings, and equipment ahead of the winter storm.
- The department will have inspectors out in the field over the weekend responding to weather-related incidents and performing random spot-check inspections of construction sites around the city.
- If sites are not secured, the department will take immediate enforcement action - issuing violations and Stop Work Orders, where necessary.
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA):
- NYCHA has mobilized additional resources this weekend, including extra teams deployed across elevator, heat and other technical teams for any skill trade repairs that may arise.
- NYCHA also has generators on standby that can be mobilized if needed.
- NYCHA residents in need of non-emergency assistance should call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or submit work tickets through the MyNYCHA application.
Libraries:
- All locations of Brooklyn Public Library, The New York Public Library (which covers the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), and Queens Public Library will be closed.
- E-books and other remote resources are available to New Yorkers 24/7 via bklynlibrary.org (http://bklynlibrary.org/), nypl.org (http://nypl.org/), and queenslibrary.org (http://queenslibrary.org/).
NYC Ferry:
- NYC Ferry expects possible service impacts due to storm conditions including potential early closure on Sunday and a late start of service on Monday. Specific service impacts will be shared on the NYC Ferry app and ferry.nyc. Riders should check the website or app before traveling.
- As always, during times of inclement weather, please use extra precaution when traveling to and from landings.
NYC Department of Correction:
- DOC activated our Emergency Operation center (EOC) to ensure communication is streamlined and updates are provided in real time to ensure all facilities have resources in advance and during the storm for both persons in our care and staff.
- The DOC maintenance staff is salting and brining roads and has snowplows on hand to operate as needed. In addition, a team of maintenance staff will be available to address any facility issues that arise on Rikers Island.
- The department has an ample supply of provisions onsite including nearly 6,000 blankets and over 20,000 thermal tops and bottoms on hand and ready to deploy as requested.
- Temperatures in housing areas are monitored regularly, and people in our care will have access to the Office of Constituent and Grievance Services to raise any issues.
- The department will notify people in custody about any services that are affected.
- Commissioner Richards will be on site on Rikers Island this evening to personally monitor conditions.
Con Edison:
- Con Edison has mobilized additional crews, has mutual aid on standby, and will be working 24/7 to respond to any weather-related service issues.
- Con Edison has crews are also prepared to respond swiftly and safely to any weather-related service issues or outages that can result when road salt mixes with melting snow.
- Con Edison has deployed additional staffing of crews in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx to maintain service of our underground system. We have secured Underground mutual aid contractors to assist as well in Brooklyn/Queens.
- Each operating region will have around the clock ICS coverage beginning Sunday at 6:00 PM through Monday.
- Con Edison remains in close coordination with New York City Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to support a unified response.
- Con Edison has opened a Situation Room and is holding twice a day calls to stay coordinated.
- The company prepares year‑round for extreme conditions through regular training, emergency response drills with local agencies, and continued investments to deliver resilient and reliable energy as extreme weather becomes more frequent.
- The company urges the public to prioritize safety by staying clear of downed wires, which may be live, and reporting them immediately to Con Edison or by calling 911.
- Customers can report outages and check restoration updates at conEd.com, through the Con Edison mobile app, or by calling 1‑800‑75‑CONED (1‑800‑752‑6633).
