A powerful winter storm bearing a mix of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain swept across the northeastern United States early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday travel and prompting emergency declarations in several states, including New York and New Jersey.
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According to the US National Weather Service, ice storm and winter storm warnings were issued across large parts of New York state and Connecticut, with some localised areas forecast to receive up to a foot of snow. Long Island and the Hudson Valley were expected to bear the brunt of the snowfall, while New York City faced the prospect of its heaviest accumulation since 2022.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday, warning residents of treacherous road conditions and urging them to avoid unnecessary travel. Forecasts indicated peak snowfall rates of two inches or more per hour in some areas, with snow often mixed with sleet and freezing rain, increasing the risk of icy surfaces.
#USA in NorthEast braces for a severe #SnowStorm especially in #NewYorkCity #NewJersey hits.
Several Flights cancelled. #JFK #EWR #LGA hit as several #Flights impacted.
Snow fall is causing hardships among citizens & flyers@NBCNews pic.twitter.com/40V5UKZVji— Dr. Subhash (@Subhash_LiveS) December 27, 2025
“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority,” Hochul said in a statement, cautioning that the storm could significantly impact both road and air travel. Similar warnings were issued across Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and most of New Jersey, where authorities also declared a state of emergency amid forecasts of high winds and freezing precipitation.
Air travel was severely affected as conditions deteriorated. More than 1,600 commercial flights within, into or out of the United States were cancelled on Friday, while over 7,800 flights were delayed, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. The majority of cancellations were reported at the three major New York-area airports — John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia.
Airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways announced they were waiving change fees to allow passengers to rebook without penalty due to weather-related disruptions. By Saturday, an additional 650 US flights had already been cancelled.
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State authorities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania also imposed restrictions on commercial vehicles on several highways, warning that the storm could create dangerous driving conditions throughout the busy holiday travel period.