Snowbound 2026

Corners of streets are usually the hardest to navigate after a snowstorm. The corner of Kingsland and Maspeth was blocked by piles of snow left by snowplows and shovelers. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

Winter Storm Fern had a huge PR machine. All weather outlets were estimating NYC would get hit with their biggest snowfall in five years. They warned 8 inches–15 inches of snow would fall accompanied by sleet and frigid temperatures. Elected and emergency officials cautioned that people should stay home and not travel.

It’s been a while since a winter storm turned a parked car into an igloo.

Fern, the first winter snowstorm of 2026, arrived around 6 a.m. on Sunday, January 25. It was reported that a foot of snow fell in North Brooklyn when the snowflakes were tallied.

All the roads that I passed from Bedford Avenue to Kingsland Avenue at Maspeth Avenue were plowed. Most of the sidewalks on this route were shoveled — one exception being the stretch along Macri Park on Metropolitan Avenue.

However, a two-foot wall of snow blocked most of the street corners, making it cumbersome to navigate crossing the streets.

Some neighbors brought out their sleds after the remote school day was over. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

The sun was out for a bit on January 26 and did some melting work, but as temperatures are not forecasted to reach above freezing for the next two weeks, these snow hills could be around for a while.