Thousands of flights cancelled as major snowstorm hits New York and US northeast
Singapore Airlines has cancelled several flights between New York and Singapore.
People walk along Manhattan's Times Square during a snowfall in New York City, on Feb 22, 2026. (Photo: AFP/CHARLY TRIBALLEAU)
SINGAPORE: Thousands of flights were cancelled as a major snowstorm blanketed New York and other parts of northeast US on Monday (Feb 23), with weather forecasters warning of up to 60cm of snow.
Flight-tracking site FlightAware showed more than 5,000 flights already cancelled for Monday. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said more than 25,000 flights were scheduled to depart from the United States on Monday, with cancellations also rising for Tuesday, especially at major Northeast airports.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) was among the global carriers which have cancelled flights to and from New York's John F Kennedy and Newark airports.
Several SIA flights from Feb 22 to 25 have been affected.
“SIA will be contacting affected customers to inform them about the changes to their flights and provide the necessary assistance. As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights may be affected,” it said in an advisory.
The snowstorm has snarled travel along the East Coast from Washington to New England, with officials urging people to stay off the roads.
Light snow and "freezing fog" with lows of -1°C were recorded in New York in the early hours of Monday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on its website.
NWS also predicted blizzard conditions would "quickly materialise" from Maryland up to southeastern New England, making travel "extremely treacherous".
New York City, the nation's largest school district, ordered all public school buildings closed.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and ordered non-essential vehicles off city roads from Sunday night to noon Monday, saying ploughs and emergency crews needed the streets clear as snowfall intensified. The city is under its first blizzard warning since 2017.
City offices will close for in-person services, and non-essential municipal employees may work remotely. "I'm urging every New Yorker to please stay home," Mamdani said.
REGIONAL EMERGENCIES
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had activated 100 National Guard members to assist in Long Island, New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley - areas expected to bear the brunt of the heavy snow and coastal winds. The storm also forced the closure of the UN headquarters complex in Manhattan on Monday.
Parts of the Northeast could see up to 60cm of snow and wind gusts could reach 112kmh, raising the risk of falling trees and power outages, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In an update on Sunday, the agency said that despite its ongoing funding lapse, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster-response work continues uninterrupted, including staff travel, emergency operations, and critical assistance for people affected by active disasters, with life safety and property protection remaining top priorities.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a statewide emergency effective noon Sunday and urged residents to take the storm seriously. "People need to take this very seriously," she told CNN.
Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. Just after 1.39am local time on Monday, nearly 80,000 customers were without power in the state of New Jersey, according to tracking website poweroutage.us.
