New York City Faces Tragedy as Extreme Cold Claims 18 Lives

Wed Feb 11 2026 01:16:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The extreme cold weather in New York City has resulted in 18 fatalities since late January, according to reports by city officials. With temperatures dropping significantly and a Code Blue emergency declared to protect vulnerable populations, the community is urged to stay safe.

Over the past several weeks, New York City has endured one of its longest cold spells in six decades, leading to the deaths of 18 individuals. The mayor's office has emphasized the importance of community vigilance and safety as temperatures remain perilously low, alongside significant snowfall. Residents are reminded to look out for one another amidst rising temperatures this week.

A total of 18 people have died as a result of a period of extreme cold weather in New York City, its mayor has said.

Since late January, the city has endured a cold snap, including 13 days of temperatures at or below 0C (32F) – one of the longest stretches of sub-zero weather New York has experienced in six decades.

Over the weekend, another person ‘lost their life on the streets of our city,’ said Zohran Mamdani on Monday, adding that ‘each life lost is a tragedy, and we will continue to hold their families in our thoughts.’

While temperatures are expected to rise this week, they remain below average. Mamdani encouraged residents to ‘stay safe, stay indoors... [and] keep looking out for one another.’

The mayor noted that since January 19, when a Code Blue emergency was announced that relaxed intake policies for homeless shelters, about 1,400 placements had been made into shelters.

An additional 64 hotel rooms have been added to the city's shelter capacity, with at least 150 outreach workers deployed to support the homeless on the streets, according to Mamdani.

On January 27, it was reported that at least 10 of the deceased individuals were found outdoors, with details on the rest of the fatalities still forthcoming.

‘We have been working hard to keep New Yorkers safe, and we will continue to do so. Because it is not forecasted to be above 32 degrees [Fahrenheit] until tomorrow, and 35 degrees is hardly balmy weather,’ he remarked.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) indicated temperatures would reach around 0C for much of the week, following the cold snap on Monday. An Arctic air mass brought hazardous sub-zero wind chills, posing risks of hypothermia and frostbite to the residents. A streak of 13 days of temperatures at 0C or below marked one of the longest records since 1963 and ended on Friday when temperatures briefly rose above freezing.

NYC’s Emergency Management agency warns that safety risks remain, particularly from melting snow and ice falling from buildings, and streets and pavements refreezing overnight.