Winter Storm Devin hit the Northeast U.S. on December 26-27, 2025. It struck right when millions of people started heading home after Christmas. Roads quickly covered with 4 to 11 inches of snow. Snow fell at rates up to 2 inches per hour. This shut down travel across the region.
A powerful winter system moved into the Great Lakes area on Friday afternoon. It brought heavy snow and ice during the busiest holiday travel time. The National Weather Service warned over 23 million people in the Northeast. Airports in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut faced big delays and cancellations within hours. Experts expected 14.8 million travelers overall. The storm’s bad timing made every problem worse.
Airlines Cancel Hundreds of Flights
JetBlue Airways canceled the most flights. It scrapped about 350 on Friday and Saturday. This topped all other U.S. airlines. Delta Air Lines cut 212 flights. Republic Airways canceled 157. American Airlines dropped 146. United canceled 97.
Major airlines waived fees for flight changes. Still, the holiday rush left many passengers stuck. By 4:04 p.m. ET on Friday, FlightAware reported 1,802 cancellations and 22,349 delays nationwide. New York hubs like JFK, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia caused over half of them. These airports handle flights for 19.5 million people in North America’s second-biggest aviation area. They sat in the storm’s direct path. This caused delays that spread worldwide.
States Declare Emergencies and Deploy Plows
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday afternoon. It covered dozens of counties, including Albany, Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, and Westchester, plus nearby areas. New Jersey Acting Governor Tahesha Way did the same statewide for all 21 counties.
Help arrived fast. New York sent out 1,636 large plow trucks, 343 loaders, 154 medium-duty plows, 36 snow blowers, and 54 tow plows. New Jersey deployed 339 plows, 11 tow plows, and 66 loaders. Over 700 salt spreaders treated streets in New York City.
Heavy Snow Creates Dangerous Conditions
Snow fell at 1 to 2 inches per hour. Rates topped 2 inches for a time in central-eastern Long Island. Visibility dropped below 1 mile from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. New York City prepared for its first 4-plus inches since January 2022. Forecasts called for 5 to 9 inches citywide, with up to 11 inches in northeast Queens and northern spots.
Long Island’s North Shore expected 9 to 12 inches. Hudson Valley, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey faced 5 to 9 inches, with some areas up to 12. Western Pennsylvania got ice storm warnings for 0.2 to 0.3 inches of ice buildup. This raised risks of falling trees, broken power lines, and outages. New York City’s Emergency Management told people to avoid travel. Untreated roads grew slippery fast. Crash reports and 911 calls surged. States banned vehicles on major highways.
Cleanup Begins Amid Warnings of More Storms
Clearing teams worked through Saturday. Light snow ended by late morning. New York City ended up with 5 to 8 inches in most areas. Northeast Queens saw up to 11 inches. Central Park measured about 8 inches.
Sanitation crews plowed snow to the curbs. The MTA brought back subway and bus service. Airports restarted flights by midday. States removed stuck vehicles and helped passengers rebook for Sunday or Monday. The storm reminded people of a 2022 nor’easter. That one dropped 8.3 inches of snow and caused 330 cancellations. Devin hit harder because of higher travel numbers.
La Niña weather patterns will likely bring more ups and downs through winter 2025-2026. Forecasters predict extra storms in January and February. This will challenge the region’s ability to handle them.
Sources
Winter Storm Forecasts and Warnings. National Weather Service, December 26, 2025
State of Emergency Declaration for Winter Storm Devin. Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, December 26, 2025
State of Emergency Declaration. Office of Acting Governor Tahesha Way, December 26, 2025
Flight Disruption Data. FlightAware, December 26, 2025
JetBlue Operational Statement on Winter Storm Devin. JetBlue Airways, December 26, 2025
Holiday Travel Advisory. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, December 2025