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article <\/p>\n article <\/p>\n
Pedestrians walk along snow-lined sidewalks in New York City, United States, on December 14, 2025, after the season’s first snowfall. (Photo by Federico Torres\/NurPhoto via Getty Images) <\/p>\n
NEW YORK<\/strong> – As a rare, potentially historic winter storm<\/a> threatens millions across the Southeast and moves closer to the Northeast, governors and emergency managers are preparing for possible impacts. One tool states sometimes use ahead of severe winter weather is a state of emergency. But what does that declaration actually mean?<\/p>\n What is a state of emergency? <\/p>\n A state of emergency<\/a> is a formal declaration by a governor that conditions are severe enough to require state-level coordination and resources to support local response efforts.<\/p>\n According to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management<\/a>, the declaration allows state agencies to work together to prevent or reduce damage, hardship and threats to public safety during events such as winter storms.<\/p>\n FIND CURRENT FORECAST HERE<\/a> A pedestrian crossed the street in the snow during Winter Storm Quinn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Philadelphia could get 8 inches, while cities and towns to the northwest may get double that, the weather service <\/p>\n What the declaration actually does <\/p>\n When a state of emergency is declared, it allows state officials to coordinate and deploy resources more quickly.<\/p>\n This can include activating emergency operations centers, positioning snowplows and road crews, coordinating state police and transportation agencies, and preparing shelters or warming centers if needed.<\/p>\n The declaration can also help position a state to request federal assistance if conditions worsen and exceed state and local capabilities.<\/p>\n What it doesn\u2019t automatically do <\/p>\n A state of emergency does not automatically mean people are required to stay home.<\/p>\n According to emergency management officials, the declaration alone does not:<\/p>\n Those actions require separate, specific orders, which are typically announced if conditions become dangerous.<\/p>\n WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES – JANUARY 06: A view from the streets as heavy snow blankets the several US states in Washington D.C., United States on January 06, 2025. (Photo by Celal Gunes\/Anadolu via Getty Images) <\/p>\n No states of emergency declared yet <\/p>\n As of now, no governors in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic have declared a state of emergency related to this winter storm.<\/p>\n Officials continue to monitor forecasts closely, and emergency declarations may be issued if conditions worsen or impacts become more certain. This article will be updated if any governors declare a state of emergency or take additional emergency actions.<\/p>\n Looking ahead to the weekend <\/p>\n New York City could see over 10 inches of snow<\/a> this weekend as a winter storm threatens to bring heavy snowfall and colder air<\/a> to parts of the Northeast, according to forecasters.<\/p>\n The National Weather Service (NWS)<\/a> says snow will likely begin on Sunday, with hazardous conditions<\/a> potentially lingering into early Monday and impacting travel across the region.<\/p>\n Maryland declares a \u2018state of preparedness\u2019 <\/p>\n While no states in the immediate Northeast region have declared a full state of emergency related to this storm so far, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has issued a state of preparedness<\/a>.<\/p>\n State officials say a state of preparedness allows agencies to ramp up planning, monitor forecasts closely and position resources ahead of potentially hazardous weather. It is a precautionary step and does not carry the same authorities as a state of emergency.<\/p>\n RELATED: What is the polar vortex? Why it matters as snow and Arctic cold threaten the Northeast<\/strong><\/a> How residents should think about it <\/p>\n Emergency management officials say a state of emergency, or a state of preparedness, is best viewed as a government readiness tool, not a sign of panic.<\/p>\n For residents, it\u2019s a signal to stay informed, follow weather forecasts, heed travel advisories and prepare for possible disruptions, especially as winter storms can evolve quickly.<\/p>\n How you can stay up to date about the weekend weather<\/strong> <\/p>\n The Source:<\/b> This article was written using information from the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the Maryland Governor\u2019s Office and official emergency management guidance.<\/p>\n Weather<\/a>New York<\/a>New Jersey<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"article Pedestrians walk along snow-lined sidewalks in New York City, United States, on December 14, 2025, after the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":534837,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,405,403,5226,5225,15747,5228,5227,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,313],"class_list":{"0":"post-534836","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-new-york","10":"tag-new-york-city","11":"tag-newyork","12":"tag-newyorkcity","13":"tag-nj","14":"tag-ny","15":"tag-nyc","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-united-states-of-america","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-usa","22":"tag-weather"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115939396156954049","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769094674_25_gettyimages-928757582-scaled.jpg\")
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