A historic blizzard hammered Brooklyn, as snowfall is expected to last until 6 p.m.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Brooklyn woke up to a borough transformed — and paralyzed — by one of the decade’s most intense blizzards, with snowfall totals climbing as high as 16 inches in parts of Kings County.
According to the National Weather Service, heavy snow persisted throughout Sunday and Monday’s early morning hours, dumping snow at rates of “one to two inches per hour,” and in some neighborhoods even higher. Combined with wind gusts between 40 and 60 miles per hour, “making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening.”
Snow blankets the trees in Starett City. As of Monday morning, the blizzard blanketed areas with as much as 16 inches of snow.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
A travel ban remains in effect until 12 p.m. Monday, and blizzard warnings are in place until 6 p.m. It’s unclear if Mayor Zohran Mamdani will announce an extension
Preliminary snowfall reports from trained spotters, emergency managers and the public show significant accumulation across the borough:
Coney Island: 16.0 inches
Williamsburg: 15.3 inches
NW Flatbush: 11.7 inches
The heaviest totals were recorded near Coney Island and Williamsburg, where snowdrifts piled high under powerful winds. Gusts reaching up to 57 miles per hour in some areas whipped snow into whiteout blizzard conditions overnight. Across the city, Queens saw snow totals of 11-15 inches, Manhattan saw 12 to 15 and the Bronx saw 15 as of early this morning.
Sanitation crews have been working around the clock, but side streets remain snow-covered, and major throughfares are slick and partially blocked. Reports show that many streets, especially around Ocean Avenue, were not treated. Public transportation is experiencing changes, with many express trains running locally.
A delivery worker rides through blizzard conditions as they begin to fall. Companies like DoorDash have stopped all food delivery during the travel ban.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
In a statement Monday morning, Mayor Mamdani offered his official forecast:
“Good morning, NYC. Snowfall: 8”-15” last night. Forecast: More snow until early afternoon. Winds: Gusts of 40-60mph. Travel: Roads are CLOSED until at least noon today. Essential & emergency trips only. Coastal Flood Warnings: Lifted at 5 a.m.”
A woman leaves footprints behind as she walks down Louisiana Avenue during the early stages of a snowstorm on Feb. 22.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
In a separate post, he wrote that 2,600 sanitation workers were deployed in 12-hour shifts, 2,300 plows were sent across the city and 700 salt spreaders were mobilized citywide.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.