Brooklyn hit with biggest blizzard in a decade 

The biggest blizzard in the past decade in New York City slammed Brooklyn on Feb. 22 and into the following day.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a local state of emergency ahead of the snowstorm and issued a travel ban from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday.

New York City public schools were closed Monday, but will be reopened Tuesday, which is expected to make for a messy commute.

The Department of Sanitation didn’t collect trash both Monday and Tuesday. 

During the storm, winds hit up to 60 miles per hour. 

According to Fox 5 News, as of early Monday afternoon, Sheepshead Bay got hit with the most snowfall in Kings County with 20.5 inches. Bay Ridge had 17 inches and Coney Island got 16.

The Diocese of Brooklyn also closed its schools Monday and announced that they will have remote instruction tomorrow.

The blizzard comes just after snow finally melted for the previous storm that hit the city Jan. 25 and continued into the evening hours. During that storm, the National Weather Service reported 10.2 inches of snow accumulated in the neighborhood.

Locals have tried to make the most of the tiring, and sometimes, dangerous weather.

“I see the snow as a gentle reminder of God’s presence,” Father Randy Nguyen of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. “There’s something about the stillness of winter that reveals beauty and peace in a unique way. It gives us an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and become more aware of the quiet ways God touches our lives.”

“It reminds me of my childhood, when snow shoveling was a daily routine for me, starting in mid-December and ending in March,” said Sergey Nevzorov who grew up in Orenburg, South Ural, Russia.

“I actually thought we were through the worst of winter with March so close to us,” said Bay Ridge resident Marianne Fezza. “Though we received more snow this time around than last one, I think we will deal with it better being that we won’t have the cold spell that accompanied previously. I am one who enjoys looking at snow through a window so I will be staying in for a couple days and working on a puzzle.”

“I thought it was safe to put the shovel away, but here we go again,” said Ramon D., who also lives in Bay Ridge. “Between the freezing cold and the snow storms, this has been the worst winter we’ve had in a long time. At least we didn’t lose power.”