New York City Mayor Mamdani issued a citywide travel ban at approximately 2:30 AM UTC on February 23, 2026, as dangerous blizzard conditions quickly materialized from Maryland to southeastern New England, making travel extremely treacherous, according to the National Weather Service and AFP reporting during the 30-minute window from 2:16:09 AM to 2:46:18 AM UTC. The National Weather Service stated blizzard conditions will rapidly intensify across the region, prompting the travel ban in New York City, as confirmed by ScooterCasterNY on X at https://x.com/ScooterCasterNY/status/2025756549298196531 and AFP at https://x.com/AFP/status/2025756511318765649. This follows heavy snow bands and slush in the Washington DC area reported earlier by Fox5 meteorologist MikeTFox5. Meteorologists noted mixed outcomes from the storm, with AwxNov on X at https://x.com/AwxNov/status/2025756113245798513 describing it as a "horrible bust" outside two narrow corridors, and MikeTFox5 calling Baltimore a disappointment at https://x.com/MikeTFox5/status/2025752764790239560, building on prior reports of bombogenesis and SPC Mesoscale Discussion 0115 targeting blizzard hazards in Northeast states.
