Since Sunday night, residents of the Big Apple have received emergency alerts on their mobile phones prohibiting non-essential travel due to "dangerous blizzard conditions."
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been decisive in ordering the closure of schools and restricting vehicular traffic until at least noon on Monday. These measures have been replicated in neighboring states like Rhode Island and New Jersey, where mobility is virtually nonexistent. The phenomenon has been described by meteorologists as a potential "bomb cyclone."
Frank Pereira, an expert from the meteorological service, explained that "the storm continues to evolve and, as it does, as it continues to strengthen and move northward, we expect conditions to deteriorate rapidly."
Pereira added that the atmospheric pressure could drop drastically, stating that "we expect it to drop at least to that magnitude over the next 24 hours" and concluded: "I think that, when it's all said and done, it will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone." The impact on infrastructure is massive. According to the latest data, more than 5,800 flights have been canceled nationwide, with New York and Boston's Logan airports being the most critical points.
Public transportation has been suspended in multiple areas, and thousands of homes are experiencing power outages. Even everyday services like DoorDash have had to cease operations due to the inability to travel. As for snow accumulations, 15.1 inches (38.3 cm) have already been recorded in Central Park, approaching the highest ranks in the historical snowfall record.
In other locations like Freehold, New Jersey, snow depths have already exceeded 60 centimeters. This is the second major storm to hit the East Coast in less than a month, exhausting the patience of many citizens.
Vincent Greer, a resident of New Jersey, expressed his exhaustion while clearing his driveway: "I'm fed up. I don't want to see another snowflake." On the contrary, other citizens admire the landscape, like Chris Crowell, who from New York's Grand Central Station stated, "so much snow, it's simply beautiful." Authorities remain vigilant, as Frank Pereira warned at the onset of the phenomenon, "we expect things to change drastically here" as the storm progresses northward. The population is advised to stay in their homes while emergency services work to clear the main roads.