The first major winter storm of 2026, which at one point spanned over 2,000 miles, dumped record levels of snow on New York City.
Central Park reported a record 11.4 inches for the day and the most snow since 2022. In Manhattan, Washington Heights almost hit 15 inches, while Brooklyn saw widespread totals of 10 to 12 inches.
In Queens, JFK Airport reported 10.3 inches and LaGuardia had just over 10 inches. On Staten Island, totals ranged from 10 to 14 inches.
After the storm, city hall (nycgov) and the New York City department of sanitation (DSNY) put out a promo video asking for people to help shovel snow—and get paid to do it.
People quickly noted a familiar face among the shovelers featured in the video.
Newly-elected and inaugurated NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen putting his back into getting vehicles back on the streets.
News of Mayor Mamdani's actions spread online and eventually made it to the news media.
Indian news outlet The Brief India wrote:
"Newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen grabbing a shovel and helping residents dig out their cars after heavy snowfall in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, as part of the city’s response to a fierce winter storm. The video shows Mamdani working alongside locals to clear snow-covered vehicles, reinforcing his message that 'no task is too big or too small' as residents cope with challenging conditions."
"As the storm brought over eight inches of snow to parts of the city, social media clips of the mayor’s hands-on help circulated widely, prompting praise from many New Yorkers for his visible engagement during the extreme weather event."
But the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post added their own spin to the story. Murdoch is infamously the father of Fox News and similar conservative misinformation media.
The Post shared a story with the headline "Zohran Mamdani reveals poor snow shoveling form as he strains his back in photo opportunity." The Post's hot take was less than well received.
People called it out across social media.
Christina Lorey/Facebook
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Mary Schroeder/Facebook
Ben Kayser/Facebook
@danobears/Threads
@falkthisnonsense/Threads
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The United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn didn't have a problem with Mayor Mamdani's form.
But Mayor Mamdani gave his thanks and the credit to city workers.
He wrote on social media:
"Thank you to all of the city workers who have been working around the clock this weekend to keep us safe. No job is too small, no storm is too big."
Mamdani drew praise for his preparedness before the storm hit and his actions during and after. It looks like the Post will need to dig a little deeper to find a criticism for NYC's mayor that sticks.
@thekalenallen/Threads
U.S. Mint
