Northeast US digs out from brutal storm that disrupted flights and canceled school

Northeast US digs out from brutal storm that disrupted flights and canceled school 1 of 14 | Millions of people in New York City and a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings on Monday as a fierce winter storm barreled into the densely populated region with heavy snowfall and high winds. 2 of 14 | Millions of people in New York City and across much of the Northeast were under road travel bans and blizzard warnings as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions across the densely populated region. 3 of 14 | Boston was left reeling as a massive snowstorm pummeled the northeast United States on Monday, causing transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures. (AP Video by Rodrique Ngowi) 4 of 14 | Crews work to clear snow from Philadelphia airport tarmac as a powerful storm brings heavy snow and strong winds across the region 5 of 14 | Millions of people across a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings Monday as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions in the densely populated region. 6 of 14 | Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents to avoid travel as a significant winter storm continues to impact the region Monday. 7 of 14 | Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has instituted a travel ban in parts of the state, including Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable counties and snow continues to pummel the area. 8 of 14 | A pair of otters slid into their week with an early morning romp in the snow at Baltimore’s National Aquarium. 9 of 14 | Fresh, fluffy snow can look like the perfect opportunity to make snow cream or maple snow candy. But is it safe to eat? Experts say it can be if you follow a few simple rules. 10 of 14 | A pedestrian walks along 42nd Street near Bryant Park during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) 11 of 14 | Hannah and Astrid Grimskog play in Times Square during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) 12 of 14 | A piece of the New York skyline rises above a pile of snow on the Weekhawken, N.J. waterfront, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) 13 of 14 | A man walks along the Hudson River Greenway in lower Manhattan during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) 14 of 14 | Louise Jordan, 3, eats snow while building a snowman near her home in Media, Pa. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) 1 of 14 Millions of people in New York City and a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings on Monday as a fierce winter storm barreled into the densely populated region with heavy snowfall and high winds. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 14 Millions of people in New York City and across much of the Northeast were under road travel bans and blizzard warnings as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions across the densely populated region. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 14 Boston was left reeling as a massive snowstorm pummeled the northeast United States on Monday, causing transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures. (AP Video by Rodrique Ngowi) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 14 Crews work to clear snow from Philadelphia airport tarmac as a powerful storm brings heavy snow and strong winds across the region Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 14 Millions of people across a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings Monday as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions in the densely populated region. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 6 of 14 Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged residents to avoid travel as a significant winter storm continues to impact the region Monday. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 7 of 14 Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has instituted a travel ban in parts of the state, including Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable counties and snow continues to pummel the area. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 8 of 14 A pair of otters slid into their week with an early morning romp in the snow at Baltimore’s National Aquarium. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 9 of 14 Fresh, fluffy snow can look like the perfect opportunity to make snow cream or maple snow candy. But is it safe to eat? Experts say it can be if you follow a few simple rules. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 10 of 14 A pedestrian walks along 42nd Street near Bryant Park during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 11 of 14 Hannah and Astrid Grimskog play in Times Square during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 12 of 14 A piece of the New York skyline rises above a pile of snow on the Weekhawken, N.J. waterfront, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 13 of 14 A man walks along the Hudson River Greenway in lower Manhattan during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 14 of 14 Louise Jordan, 3, eats snow while building a snowman near her home in Media, Pa. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] NEW YORK (AP) — Neighbors, government workers and a powerful railroad snow-clearing machine nicknamed “Darth Vader” scrambled to dig out much of the northeastern United States from a brutal and — in some areas — record-breaking storm that blanketed the region with snow and resulted in thousands of flight cancellations.But as the snow moved northward and tapered off in other areas Tuesday, forecasters warned that another storm could be right around the corner.Monday’s storm that meteorologists are calling the strongest in a decade dumped more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow in parts of the Northeast. By Tuesday, roads were beginning to reopen, mass transportation was coming back online in some cities and power had returned for some of the hundreds of thousands who had lost electricity in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware and Rhode Island. In New York City, which canceled classed Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that schools would reopen for in person learning on Tuesday, raising questions about how feasible that is with snow still piled along sidewalks.Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said school should remain closed, while Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, described the situation as “a big mess.” “There’s going to be low attendance of students. You’re going to have low attendance of staff because people don’t know if they can travel, if they can get to schools,” he said. Spokespersons for Mamdani didn’t respond to an email seeking comment but his schools chief, Chancellor Kamar Samuels, said in a post on X, that they were “confident in our decision to reopen.”Philadelphia switched to online learning Monday and Tuesday. Districts on Long Island and elsewhere in the New York suburbs said they would cancel school again Tuesday.The National Weather Service said it’s tracking another storm that could bring more snow to the region later this week. While the new storm is not expected to be as strong, even a few extra inches of snow on top of hard-hit areas could make cleanup more difficult, said Frank Pereira, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.“Any additional snow at this point is probably not going to be welcome,” he said.The weather service referred to Monday’s storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter off the Northeast coast.” A bomb cyclone happens when a storm’s pressure falls by a certain amount within a 24-hour period, occurring mainly in the fall and winter when frigid Arctic air can reach the south and clash with warmer temperatures.More than 2,000 flights in and out of the United States were canceled Tuesday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Most of the cancellations involved airports in New York, New Jersey and Boston. Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport paused its airport operations Monday as it dealt with nearly 38 inches (97 centimeters) of snow, according to the Weather Service, breaking a record set in 1978. Central Park in New York City recorded 19 inches (48 centimeters) of snow. Warwick, Rhode Island, exceeded 3 feet (91 centimeters), topping the nation so far. The highest wind gust of 83 mph (134 kph) was recorded in Nantucket, with hurricane-force gusts seen all over Cape Cod. New York, Philadelphia and other cities, as well as several states, declared emergencies. The Boston Globe management called off printing its daily newspaper for the first time in its more than 150-year history because snow and winds kept staff from safely getting to its printing plant, the newspaper said in an article on its website.In the New York City-area, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Monday evening that subway lines are mostly operational after earlier delays, with the exception of the hard-hit borough of Staten Island, where rail service remained suspended. Commuter rail service to suburbs to the north and east of the city were expected to resume limited service ahead of the Tuesday morning commute, the MTA said. Christa Prince and two others were out in Brooklyn on Monday afternoon with shovels and an electric snowblower.“We’re just making a path for this car,” Prince said. “It’s not our car but you know, we’re just doing our neighbor a kind deed.”___Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York. Associated Press writers Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; Mark Kennedy and Mike Sisak in New York; Darlene Superville in Washington; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Philip Marcelo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed. Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. Walker is an audio and print correspondent for The Associated Press. She has covered everything from Occupy Wall Street to the criminal trial of Donald Trump. She is based in New York. Geller is an Associated Press national writer based in New York. He is part of a team focused on in-depth enterprise reporting.