Blizzards in New York City have a checkered political history<\/a>. In a city with 8.5 million people packed into 300 square miles, City Hall\u2019s neglect of any street or neighborhood can have disastrous consequences and bring on the wrath of the public.<\/p>\n Former Mayor John Lindsay\u2019s notoriously failed response to a devastating blizzard in 1969 severely damaged his popularity with voters. After the storm left 42 people dead and 288 injured, half of them in Queens, trust in Lindsay\u2019s leadership plummeted and he scraped by in his reelection campaign later that year.<\/p>\n Other successors of Mamdani\u2019s have also had pitfalls of their own in blizzard response \u2014 Michael Bloomberg took heat in 2010 for the city\u2019s botched operations during an after-Christmas blizzard, and Bill De Blasio struggled throughout his tenure to gain trust in his emergency response abilities amid a series of questionable snowstorm responses.<\/p>\n Throughout the past week, Mamdani seemed to take these lessons to heart. Days before the storm hit, he repeatedly spoke publicly about storm preparation days and made New Yorkers well aware of the hazards that came.<\/p>\n In the end, Mamdani seemed to suggest Monday that the city came out of the winter storm well.\n<\/p>\n \u201cNew York was prepared and New York weathered the storm,\u201d Mamdani said at a Monday press conference.\n<\/p>\n When asked to grade his administration\u2019s response, the mayor demurred.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cI will leave it to New Yorkers to give me a grade,\u201d Mamdani said, instead crediting advance planning and the work of sanitation workers and other city employees who began preparing days before snow fell.<\/p>\n City Council Speaker Julie Menin applauded the city\u2019s response in a statement to amNewYork.\n<\/p>\n \u201cMayor Mamdani clearly communicated the risks of the storm and was on the ground throughout the city, so New Yorkers understood the severity and stayed indoors, which was so important in order for Sanitation workers to do the vital snow removal work,\u201d Menin wrote. \u201cDue to their tireless work, the city is functioning today. In terms of the fatal fires in the Bronx, we are working with City Hall to ensure all displaced residents receive the services they need.\u201d<\/p>\n In a previous statement to the New York Times, Menin said the response could have been better: \u201cThere are areas where emergency response has been stretched and needs to improve, and the Council will be closely engaged in addressing those gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n Communications: Mamdani fills the airwaves<\/b> Just as important as the response itself is how that response is communicated and made visible to the public, according to George Artz, who served as press secretary for former Mayor Ed Koch.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s done very well,\u201d Artz told amNewYork. \u201cHe was on all the TV channels, he was out there, he was holding press conferences.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Mamdani spent much of Friday and Saturday sitting for interviews and holding press conferences about storm preparation, urging New Yorkers to sign up for text notifications from NotifyNYC<\/a>, shop for groceries in advance of the snow, and avoid unnecessary travel.<\/p>\n On Sunday, the day of the storm, Mamdani went live on the Weather Channel from Central Park, speaking to broadcast meteorologist Jim Cantore about the snow. He also held a press conference in the middle of the day, delivering updates to the city alongside other members of his administration.<\/p>\n In addition to remaining visible on television and repeatedly updating his social media as the storm went on, Mamdani spent much of his day out in the cold visiting Department of Sanitation Workers, Department of Parks and Recreation workers, and even helping dig residents\u2019 cars out from the snow.<\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s response brought him praise from other electeds and political players \u2014 even some of his critics.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Benny Polatseck, a vocal critic of Mamdani and formerly a multimedia producer for former Mayor Eric Adams, wrote in a Sunday post on X<\/a>, \u201cCredit where due, looks like @NYCMayor is handling this storm very well so far.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was his first test to the public, and it was good,\u201d Artz said.\n<\/p>\n Mamdani sought to make the day fun for snowed-in New Yorkers, urging residents to stay inside, relax, and watch television or read.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The complaints that did surface<\/b><\/p>\n
\n![\"Mayor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55062386298_9b80da2c7f_6k.jpg\" "\\"WINTER")
Mayor Zohran Mamdani with Parks Department members in snowy NYC during a winter storm on Jan. 25, 2026.Kara McCurdy\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n