Skiers Take Over New York City As Blizzard Dumps Snow

Once again this winter season, the northeastern United States is getting walloped by snow.

Over the last couple of days, parts of Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New England have seen up to 3+ feet of snow. Places in Central Park, New York, received nearly 20 inches of snow, with a snowfall rate of 2-3 inches per hour, setting a record for the ninth-highest snow total in the park.

It’s the biggest storm the New York area has seen since 2020-2021, causing power outages and travel delays, among other impacts.

Despite the negative impacts of a major winter storm, skiers are taking advantage of the city’s snow for close-to-home turns and for alternate modes of transportation. New York mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency that banned non-essential vehicles, including just about everyone except ambulances, police cars, and utility trucks.

With delays on the subway lines, PATH trains, and other public transit services, New Yorkers have turned to cross-country skis and touring set-ups to get around the city for food and other supplies while snowed in. Although snow had mostly stopped falling by Monday afternoon, transit around the city remained difficult.

Those less concerned about transit and more eager to take advantage of the city’s rare snowfall took to Central Park to find a few street features. Clips on social media show skiers and snowboarders riding down park steps covered in snow, having snowball fights, and using things like picnic benches and barrier walls as more rideable features.

A couple posted to Reddit saying they’d picked up cross-country skiing a few months back and had done a 10k loop around Times Square, Harlem, and Central Park. Keep reading for more.

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This storm is one of the biggest blizzards New York has ever seen, narrowly beating out one in January of 2011, when 19 inches of snow fell on the city.

Earlier this year, another storm impacted New York and the greater New England area, prompting skiers to similarly take advantage of the snow for transit and a little fun. Only around a foot of snow fell during the previous storm, which was still enough to cause delays and closures around the city.

According to a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, who was quoted in the New York Times, the snow from the storm is expected to melt fairly quickly due to daytime temperatures hovering around or just above freezing.

Stay safe, northeasters, and take advantage of those turns while you can!

Related: The 10 Best Skiing Photos From The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics