Northeast U.S. scrambles to clear piles of snow as fresh storm approaches

Northeast U.S. battles massive snow as cities prepare for another storm, impacting accessibility and causing widespread disruptions.

Snowplows cleared the way for ambulances and fire trucks in Rhode Island. New York City workers geared up to dump massive basins of warm water on piles of snow and ice. And in Boston, officials tried to clear sidewalks coated in packed snow that cut off access for people using wheelchairs.

The gigantic snowstorm this week across the Northeast U.S. dropped piles of powder from Maryland to Maine and left cities on Wednesday (February 25, 2026) scrambling to clear towering heaps that were not showing signs of melting anytime soon.

By Tuesday evening (February 24, 2026), New York City had spread 143 million pounds (65 million kilograms) of salt, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and signed up at least 3,500 people as emergency shovellers. The $30-per-hour shifts involve clearing snow across public streets and bus stops.

But with another storm expected on Wednesday, there was plenty more work left to do, especially for the many people with disabilities. Jeff Peters, spokesperson for the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, described parts of the city as impassable islands.

“You’ll find a portion of a sidewalk that is clear, and then there’s maybe a 6-inch (15-cm) pathway that can only be walked with one foot in front of the other and no room for a stroller, rollator, walker or crutches,” Mr. Peters said. “Then you get to the corner and not only is it unshovelled, but you have basically a glacier at the end of it.”

Tina Guenette, who uses a motorised wheelchair, had to shovel out her yard this week after more than 33 inches (84 centimetres) fell in Harrisville, Rhode Island, a town about 17 miles (27 kilometres) northwest of Providence.