"9,000 Flights Canceled" and Warnings to "Stay Home"...U.S. East Coast on Blizzard Alert

Historic blizzard slams U.S. East Coast
Up to 70 cm of snow forecast in New York City
State of emergency declared...road restrictions and school closures

A powerful winter storm bringing heavy snow and strong winds was forecast for the U.S. East Coast on February 22-23 (local time), putting cities on high alert. Major cities such as New York and Boston declared states of emergency along with blizzard warnings, and a series of school closures and road control measures were issued. Authorities repeatedly urged residents to refrain from going out unless it is an emergency and called for extreme caution.

A snowplow clears snow in New York City as a storm sweeps through. Reuters, Yonhap News

9,000 flights canceled...virtually paralyzed

With a powerful snowstorm in the forecast, airlines canceled about 9,000 flights over two days. According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, as of 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 22nd, airlines had canceled more than 3,700 domestic and international flights that day. Around 4,800 additional flights were canceled on the 23rd, bringing the total number of canceled flights over the two days close to 9,000. On the 22nd alone, 20,000 flights were delayed, causing flight disruptions to snowball. Depending on weather conditions, the number of cancellations could increase further.

By airport, the New York and Boston areas were hit the hardest. As of the 23rd, 85% of departures at John F. Kennedy International Airport were canceled, while 95% of flights at LaGuardia Airport were grounded. At Boston Logan International Airport, 92% of departures were canceled, and 77% of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were halted. In effect, airport operations have been brought to a standstill.

LaGuardia Airport in New York City placed under a blizzard warning. AFP/Yonhap News

Korean airlines were not spared either. Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Air Premia and others have canceled some flights between New York or Boston and Incheon.

'Historic blizzard' strikes...54 million people affected

According to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), from the afternoon of the 22nd a powerful snowstorm with strong winds and heavy snowfall has been battering East Coast cities, excluding the southeastern United States. The storm, accompanied by winds of 20-30 meters per second, is expected to affect major cities in the U.S. Northeast, including New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, through the evening of the 23rd.

These areas have been under a blizzard warning from the morning of the 22nd through the evening of the 23rd. This is the first time in nine years that a blizzard warning has been issued for New York City since March 2017.

A snowplow is clearing snow from the Brooklyn Bridge. Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

The National Weather Service said the storm is so intense that an unprecedentedly destructive snowstorm is expected to slam the area between Boston and Providence. It went on to warn that "the strong winds and snow could topple street trees and destroy utility poles, potentially causing prolonged power outages." It stressed that "a snowstorm in which that kind of wet snow combines with strong winds is the most damaging and frightening type."

The weather service also warned that strong winds could whip up the snow and cause a "whiteout" in which visibility suddenly drops. In such conditions, drivers can lose their sense of direction, making travel extremely dangerous. The agency estimated that about 54 million residents of the U.S. East Coast would be within the storm's impact zone.

State of emergency declared...public urged to avoid travel

States and local governments within the storm's path declared states of emergency one after another, advising people to avoid driving or traveling and ordering temporary school closures on the 23rd. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at an emergency press conference, "We have not seen a winter storm of this scale in the past 10 years," and announced that road travel by private vehicles would be banned from 9 p.m. on the 22nd until noon on the 23rd, except for ambulances and other essential service vehicles.

Forecasts for New York City indicated the possibility of up to 70 centimeters of snowfall by the 23rd. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also declared a state of emergency the previous day, saying, "This storm could reach historic levels," and urged residents to "please stay home."