15m ago
Hochul to give winter storm update
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will give an update on the winter storm Sunday morning. She is expected to hold an 11 a.m. news conference in Albany.
You can stream the governor’s remarks live on CBS News New York.
Updated 19m ago
Types of snowflakes
The temperature has a huge impact on the types of snowflakes that fall, as well as how many inches of snow piles up.
Thin plates are best for building snowmen and packing snowballs because they hold more moisture. These develop when the weather is between 25-32 degrees Fahrenheit.
CBS News New York
Needles develop as the temperature drops to between 21-25 degrees.
Hollow columns and stellar plates form when there’s more air in the flakes, making them more difficult to pack. These occur between 10-21 degrees.
Dendrites, which are how most people visualize snowflakes, form between 3-10 degrees.
36m ago
NYC public schools will have remote classes Monday
Officials announced public schools will have remote classes Monday.
This applies to K-8 students who are scheduled to have school. High schoolers and some 6-8 grade students were already scheduled to have off due to a professional development day.
Mayor Mamdani previously said city public schools would not have a traditional snow day Monday.
8:30 AM
Winter storm power outages
Nearly 200,000 people across the country, including some already in New York and New Jersey, have lost power because of the winter storm, according to the CBS News data team.
Click here to see a county-by-county map of data from Find Energy showing where power outages are being reported.
8:14 AM
Mamdani meets with DSNY workers
Mayor Mamdani met with Department of Sanitation workers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Sunday morning as his administration takes on its first snowstorm.
Mamdani offered his thanks and encouragement to the workers.
“I really have a very simple message from myself, from the entire team and, frankly, from the entire city of New York, which is just, thank you. The work that you all have been doing has been incredible. It’s not only keeping New Yorkers safe, it’s New Yorkers the peace of mind,” he said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani address DSNY workers in Brooklyn at the beginning of the winter storm. Jan. 25, 2026.
CBS News New York
DSNY said it powered up one of its largest head counts ever for the winter storm, which could be the city’s biggest in years.
7:58 AM
Winter storm timeline
The entire New York metropolitan area will be dealing with snow Sunday morning. It started snowing at around 5 a.m. and will get heavy at times.
The storm will become very dynamic by midday when snow will transition to sleet, meaning it could be snowing in the Bronx, but sleeting in Staten Island.
The snow and sleet taper off after 9 p.m., with some dry slots.
Snow showers pick up again Monday morning, but it won’t be anything like today.
7:47 AM
DSNY could deploy plows within the hour
New York City’s Acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan said plowable snow could be on the ground soon.
“Right now, we’re seeing about a trace. We think in the next hour or so we could get plowable depth, maybe 2 inches,” Lojan said on CBS News New York.
DSNY has more than 2,200 plows lined up after prep work, including pre-salting streets, started overnight, the commissioner said.
“We initiated full spreading operations around 5 a.m. and we’re going to continue that throughout the city,” he said. “There will be a long day ahead, but I think we’ll be in good shape.”
You can see which streets DSNY has plowed in real time with the PlowNYC online tracker tool.
7:38 AM
Flight cancellations
Full ground stops are possible at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and John. F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday due to the massive winter storm, which has been wreaking havoc on air travel across the country, the Federal Aviation Administration says.
So far, more than 800 flights have been canceled at LGA and more than 900 have been canceled at JFK, according to FlightAware.
New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport is up to nearly 900 flight cancellations, so far.
7:25 AM
Dangerously frigid weather
Temperatures will remain dangerously frigid for the duration of the winter storm. Prolonged exposure to the elements today could result in hypothermia and frostbite, which could take just 30 minutes or less to set in.
Icing during the storm could have severe impacts, including slippery pavement, weighted tree limbs and isolated power outages from just one-quarter of an inch of ice or less. Any more ice accumulation will mean more dangerous travel, lots of tree damage and more scattered power outages.
And of course, the heavy snow means visibility will be low. So be cautious!
7:07 AM
Mamdani says NYC “ready for whatever winter weather comes”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday reassured New Yorkers that city agencies are “thoroughly equipped and we are ready for whatever winter weather comes.”
“Make no mistake, New Yorkers, the full power of this city’s enormous resources are prepared, poised, and ready to be deployed,” Mamdani said.
The Department of Sanitation will deploy it fleet of 2,300 plows once 2 inches of snow are on the ground, which the mayor expects before midday.
“Snow will fall at its heaviest rate in the late morning of tomorrow and early afternoon. Visibility will be very low, winds will be gusting at speeds of up to 35 mph. New Yorkers can expect whiteout or near-blizzard conditions,” Mamdani said
7:07 AM
Are subways, buses and trains running?
New York City subways and buses will operate during the winter storm, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said this week.
“We have detailed plans in place for storms like this to protect the network, to protect our riders, to protect our employees. We preposition a ton of equipment and personnel,” Lieber said.
Lieber said the bus network “is ready to pick up the slack as it always does in these situations.” All available buses will be outfitted with chains on their tires, but articulated ones will be removed from service for safety reasons.
Lieber also said there are 220 miles of outdoor subway tracks that need special treatment.
“We’ll be focused on making sure that those continue to be operational with our snow-fighting trains, with the de-icing systems,” Lieber said. “The same goes for the commuter railroads.”
In New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced NJ Transit trains will be suspended at 2 p.m. for safety reasons. NJ Transit bus, light rail and Access Link service was suspended at 4 a.m.
7:07 AM
How much snow will NYC get?
In general, areas north and west of New York City are most likely to see over 12 inches of snow. In and around the five boroughs could see 8-12 inches, while locations along the coast may only see 5-10 inches.
If New York City manages a foot of snow or more with this storm, it would be the first time since February 2021.
CBS News New York