A massive snow storm hit New York City Sunday morning, January 25, 2026, and another one is expected to start Sunday, February 22, 2026, leading New Yorkers to ask one question — how bad will it get? — and New York theatergoers to ask three more:
What if I can’t make it to a show that hasn’t been canceled?
Will shows offer a snow day discount?
Here are some answers. This post was periodically updated during the January storm, but the general information is useful during any snowstorm.
The photographs above are of Times Square during the record-setting blizzard exactly a decade ago, on January 22-24, 2016, known officially as Winter Storm Jonas, which eventually dumped 27.5 inches of snow in Central Park. It was the last time that a blizzard shut down all Broadway theaters.
Good resources are the National Weather Service and/or Weather.com. The National Weather Service, a government agency, also has a good social media feed specifically for information about the New York region, @NWSNewYorkNY.
Also check out the NYC Severe Weather page, with helpful links, from the City of New York.For the most up-to-date emergency alerts, sign up for Notify NYC by texting “NotifyNYC” to 692-692. (That’s for English. Text that number with “NotifyNYCEsp” for Spanish, or “NotifyNYCFre” for French. All other languages offered can sign up for alerts by visiting nyc.gov/notify or by calling NYC 311.)
Update Feb 21: NYC is expecting 6–8 inches on Sunday February 22 and another 1–3 inches Monday February 23, according to the NYC Mayor’s Office.
UPDATES ON THE JANUARY 25, 2026 STORM
Update Monday morning January 26: A record-breaking 11.4 inches of snow reportedly fell on Central Park, the most ever recorded for January 25
Update: 8:30 pm Sunday. 10.8 inches of snow has dropped on Central Park since 5 am, Meteorologists say there is unlikely to be much more accumulation, because the precipitation is now a mix of rain and sleet, which they forecast will end at 10 p.m.
Update: 5:30 pm Sunday January 25, 2026. 8.8 inches of snow has fallen in NYC, and it’s still snowing.
Update: 1 p.m. Sunday. Five inches of snow has fallen in New York City since 5 a.m., according to meteorologists, who say that five more inches may fall by 7 p.m., mixed in with sleet.
Update: noon Sunday. Meteorologists say it’s not windy enough in New York City (an average of 25 miles per hour so far) to call it a blizzard (which requires at least 35 mph for at least three hours). So it’s only a “major storm.”
And very cold.
Update 10 a.m. Sunday January 25: Temperature 14 degrees, feels like minus 1. Snow this morning will become a mix of wintry precipitation (sleet) for the afternoon
Update 6 a.m. Sunday: Snow has arrived. In Times Square, it is 12 degrees Fahrenheit. “Due to the extreme cold, New York City warming centers are open now through Monday, January 26. There are two centers in each borough. Visit on.nyc.gov/warmingcenters “
Days before the January 25 storm, governors of both New York and New Jersey declared a state of emergency, while meteorologists anticipated at least six inches of snow in the city itself (“with an 80 percent chance of 9-12 inches”) and up to 18 inches in surrounding areas, as well as a severe cold front that could bring dangerously icy conditions. But the metereologists are the first to admit that what will actually happen is uncertain. They advise us to check for updates. Good resources are the National Weather Service and/or Weather.com. The National Weather Service, a government agency, also has a good social media feed specifically for information about the New York region, @NWSNewYorkNY.
2. Will the shows be canceled
Update Feb 22: All Sunday evening performances on Broadway canceled — for the first time in ten years.”
Update Feb 23: All Monday evening performances on Broadway canceled.
In general, it is rare for The Broadway League, the trade association of Broadway producers and presenters, to cancel all shows on the Great White Way. However, for two Januarys in a row — in 2015 and 2016 – Broadway was shut down completely for a day because of a blizzard. In 2015, it was a false alarm — there wasn’t that much snow — but the governor had shut down the subway system, so the League was worried about both theatergoers and casts making it to and from the shows. In 2016, there was more than two feet of snow.
Those experiences ten and 11 years ago offer a clue as to the quickest gauge of whether all shows will (soon/eventually) be canceled: Check out travel ban announcements and subway system alerts – on the MTA app, or its website, where you can sign up for real-time service updates.
Or just wait for word from the Broadway League, most reliably on their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
Important: Even if the League doesn’t order all Broadway to cancel performances, individual shows on Broadway, and certainly beyond Broadway, might shut down on their own — and the League won’t tell you about them. (During the January 25 snowstorm, ten Broadway shows canceled; the League’s “update” merely said that “most” shows were continuing, without mentioning any of the ones that had canceled.) The best way to track actual cancellations of individual New York shows is to check the shows’ websites and their social media feeds. (The most diligent ones will email ticket holders.)
Theater news sites also keep up on the latest information
UPDATES ON THE JANUARY 25, 2026 STORM
Monday morning January 26 Update: Only four Broadway shows are scheduled for Monday performances (the others are normally dark on Mondays), and none have yet canceled their performances, but check their websites: Chicago, The Great Gatsby, Maybe Happy Ending, Six,
Update: The Broadway League turned out to be not at all helpful. Other Broadway shows that canceled on Sunday (none of which the League mentioned): & Juliet, All Out, The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mamma Mia, MJ the Musical, Stranger Things
Update: “Most Broadway shows in New York City are currently scheduled to perform today (Sunday) as planned.” — Broadway League, dated January 25.
Exceptions: The Lion King, Aladdin and Ragtime have canceled their Sunday performances.Ticket buyers can contact their point of purchase for refunds.
Off-Broadway, Heathers: The Musical and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (both at New World Stages), MTC’s The Monsters,and Ulysses at the Public Theater have all canceled their Sunday performances.
Update 6 a.m. Sunday: “Most Broadway shows in New York City are currently scheduled to perform tomorrow (Sunday) as planned,” the Broadway League says in an update dated January 24.
“Broadway shows in New York City for the coming weekend are currently scheduled to perform as planned,” the Broadway League announced on Friday, January 23, 2026
3. What if I can’t make it to a show for which I have tickets that hasn’t canceled?
For information about refunds and exchanges, please contact the point of purchase.
Here is the list that I compiled during previous blizzards. (Important: Some of this contact info could be out of date)
Telecharge: 212-239-6210 or 800-543-4835 or online at telecharge.com
Ticketmaster: 877-250-2929 or Ticketmaster.com)
Disney on Broadway: 866-870-2717
Roundabout Theatre: 212-719-1300.
If these do not work for the tickets you have, please contact the theater’s box office directly.
If your show is at:
- City Center please call (212) 581-1212
- American Airlines or Laura Pels Theatre please call (212) 719-1300
- Nederlander Theatre please call (212) 921-8000
- For Jujamcyn Theatres, including the Eugene O’Neil, Al Hirschfeld, St. James, August Wilson and Walter Kerr Theatre, please call (212) 205-1645 or email PastDating@jujamycn.com
- Marquis Theatre please call (212) 382-0100
- Palace Theatre please call (212) 730-8200
- Hudson Theatre please call (646) 975-4620
(Again, apologies if any of this contact info is no longer correct.)
You should not be surprised if it is difficult to reach anybody on the telephone. If the storm gets bad enough, it’s only the most self-sabotaging theater that would not eventually allow you to reschedule even if you were unable to reach them before the missed performance.
4. Will shows offer a snow day discount?
Sometimes some do; sometimes they don’t. In the past, the best way to check this out was on the show’s individual social media feeds. The shows themselves posted the info, and enterprising theater websites and social media accounts often posted the shows’ offers using a hashtag like #SnowDayDiscount. (Broadway shows are unlikely to advertise their snow day discounts on their websites. In past blizzards, I have seen several hit shows, with impossible-to-get-tickets, for steep discounts because I braved the elements to get there, when many ticket-holders didn’t show up.
Update: Shows don’t need to offer special Snow Day discounts. The normal lottery and rush tickets will be more winnable. Check out individual shows at Broadway Rush and Lottery Policies
Update January 25: See “Bug” Sunday’s matinee for only $45. USE CODE: MTCJL (My review of Bug)
Monday morning Update January 26: Only four Broadway shows are scheduled for Monday performances (the others are normally dark on Mondays), and none have yet canceled their performances. Check their websites and social media accounts for discounts: Chicago, The Great Gatsby, Maybe Happy Ending, Six,
