Watch as the East River freezes over... A polar storm hits New York
New York City experienced an exceptional weather event, as the city was covered in white and ice accumulated in the East River along the Brooklyn coast, following a severe winter storm that hit the city and large parts of the United States during the weekend of January 27, 2026. This polar wave turned the famous city's landmarks into an icy landscape, reflecting the severity of the drop in temperatures.
New York City was hit by a heavy snowfall of up to a foot (approximately 30 cm), bringing traffic and daily life to a near standstill. This comes amidst a winter storm that has swept across large parts of the country, leaving behind significant human and material losses. The severe weather conditions have caused power outages for hundreds of thousands of homes and resulted in horrific traffic accidents.
Heavy human and material losses
In a tragic initial count, at least 35 people have died as a result of the winter storm currently battering the United States. The causes of death varied, ranging from traffic accidents caused by vehicles skidding and poor visibility, to deaths resulting from direct exposure to the extreme cold and fatal hypothermia, particularly among the homeless or those trapped in their cars.
US media reported that the severe weather conditions not only caused human casualties, but also led to damage to the energy infrastructure, causing power outages for about 800,000 homes and businesses, which increased the suffering of residents in light of the urgent need for heating.
Paralysis in air and land transport
In terms of transportation, the storm caused widespread chaos at US airports. Air traffic at several major airports in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York was almost completely halted. According to FlightAware, a website specializing in flight tracking, more than 19,000 flights have been canceled since Saturday, while thousands more have been delayed, leading to overcrowding and disruptions to both domestic and international travel plans.
Warnings and extreme climate context
For their part, the relevant authorities and the National Weather Service renewed their warnings about the continued risk of frost, noting that wind chill temperatures could drop to dangerously low levels in various parts of the country. Some experts consider this storm one of the worst to hit the United States in recent decades, warning that the resulting ice accumulations could have long-lasting and catastrophic consequences.
Climate experts point out that the recurrence of such extreme phenomena, such as the freezing of vital rivers like the East River and sweeping snowstorms, reflects the severe climate changes the world is witnessing, as polar storms become more intense and have a greater impact on densely populated urban areas.
