If you haven’t heard it from the wind outside—or from the word of mouth of seemingly everyone around you—a nor’easter is headed for our favorite city. 🌧️ And, unfortunately, our weekend plans are going with it.
While it may not be the coziest way to kick off fall, the storm is at least giving us a pretty good excuse to stay inside, cancel the plans, curl up under a blanket, and officially lean into the most snug season of the year. But before you settle in with your favorite comfort show and a hot drink, there are a few things New Yorkers should know.
From closures and cancellations to emergency notices, transit changes, weather warnings, and other updates, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming nor’easter and how it could impact NYC.
Last updated: September 26th at 1:30pm
Closures
Major public parks, outdoor recreational areas, and waterfront facilities are facing restrictions or full closures due to wind gusts up to 60 mph and dangerous coastal flooding.
- Outdoor Parks & Beaches: Public beaches across Long Island, New York City, and New Jersey are under high surf and coastal flood warnings. NYC Parks and local authorities recommend avoiding open waterfront zones and tree-heavy park paths due to falling branch hazards.
- Farmers Markets & Greenmarkets: Outdoor GrowNYC Greenmarkets across the five boroughs are operating under modified hours or closing early. Vendors may cancel individually depending on structural wind risks to tents. Check local market social accounts for specific vendor listings.
Event Cancellations
The storm’s slow movement and lingering high winds have forced organizers to pull the plug on major outdoor festivals, concerts, and public gatherings across the region:
- Global Citizen Festival: Canceled on the Great Lawn in Central Park. Organizers cited severe safety concerns, marking the first weather cancellation in the festival’s 14-year history.
- All Things Go NYC Festival: Canceled at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens after consulting with local officials regarding wind and rain conditions.
- The Stone Pony Summer Stage: The All Time Low concert scheduled for Friday night in Asbury Park, NJ, was officially canceled due to dangerous coastal winds. Full automatic refunds are being issued at the point of purchase.
- Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction: Relocated indoors to protect vendors, collectibles, and theatrical memorabilia from heavy rainfall and gusts.
- Regional Event Impacts: Neighboring major East Coast events have also shuttered, including the Oceans Calling Festival in Maryland (due to severe beach erosion) and concerts at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
Additional cancellations as of September 26th
- Smorgasburg NYC: All open-air food market locations—including Williamsburg, Prospect Park, and Central Park—are completely closed for the entire weekend (September 26–27).
- Cj Hendry’s Flower Market: Closed early at 8 PM at Rockefeller Center with full refunds issued to Express Pass and Space Club holders; organizers plan to announce a new location soon via Instagram.
- Brooklyn Book Festival: The outdoor Children’s Day Book Market (Sept 26) and Festival Day Literary Marketplace (Sept 27) are canceled, though all author panels and program discussions are moving indoors.
- NYCRUNS Big Apple Marathon: The inaugural Governors Island marathon was completely canceled due to heavy rain, strong winds, and high tides impacting ferry and island travel.
- Sleepy Hollow Street Fair & Oktoberfest: The annual street fair on Beekman Avenue (Sept 27) and the Oktoberfest event (Sept 26) in Westchester County have been canceled due to severe weather.
Airports and Flights
Ground delay programs and airborne holds are active across Tri-State airports due to heavy rain and high crosswinds:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): The FAA has implemented an Air Traffic Management Program for wind and weather. Inbound flights face destination delays averaging around 1 hour, with minor airborne holds under 15 minutes.
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA): Heavily impacted by wind controls. Arriving flights face delays averaging 1 hour and 54 minutes, with gate hold and taxi departure delays ranging between 16 and 30 minutes and growing.
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): Currently operating with minor delays (gate holds and airborne holds generally under 15 minutes), though schedule spillover from JFK and LGA may cause secondary delays.
Passengers are strongly advised to confirm flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport.
Other Forms of Transit
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has placed maintenance, tree-clearing, and water-pump crews on standby across the region.
- Subway & Bus Network: Service continues to run, but heavy local rain may lead to station stairwell flooding, localized route detours for buses, and speed restrictions on elevated subway tracks during peak wind gusts.
- Commuter Rail (LIRR & Metro-North): Crews are patrolling tracks for downed branches and fallen power lines. Passengers should anticipate potential weather-related delays or speed reductions over the weekend. Check the MTA app or TrainTime app for real-time adjustments.
- Emergency Guidance: Officials recommend avoiding unnecessary road travel during peak tide cycles. New York residents can text 333-111 to receive real-time regional emergency updates.
State of Emergency & NWS Weather Guidance
- State of Emergency Declared: Governor Hochul has declared a State of Emergency for NYC, Long Island, and Westchester—urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel and text 333-111 for real-time local updates.
- Widespread Wind Advisory: Active through 6 AM Sunday across the entire NYC metro area, bringing sustained winds of 20–25 mph with gusts peaking at 40–50 mph (up to 55 mph along eastern coastlines) that can easily topple power lines and rain-soaked trees.
- Heavy, Prolonged Rainfall: Expect 1 to 3 inches of rain across most of the region (and 3 to 4 inches on central/eastern Long Island) spreading from Friday night through Saturday night before tapering off Sunday evening.
- Major Coastal Flooding & Surf: Dangerous coastal flooding will hit during high tide cycles through Sunday—amplified by Saturday’s full moon—alongside severe beach erosion and 7- to 11-foot ocean surf.
- Flight & Marine Disruptions: Regional waters are under Storm Warnings with wind gusts up to 55 knots, while high crosswinds and low visibility at JFK, LGA, and EWR will cause continued air traffic delays and low-level wind shear.