Record-Breaking Blizzard Transformed NYC into a Tranquil Winter Wonderland

Parts of the East Coast were met with a blizzard (known as Jonas) that produced record-breaking snowfall over the weekend, which served as just cause for many to hunker inside of their warm, cozy homes. For photographer Vivienne Gucwa, however, this was the perfect opportunity to capture New York City in a highly rare form, as the bustling city was transformed into a tranquil winter wonderland.

While snow fell during the day, Gucwa headed onto the streets of her Lower East Side neighborhood to document the action. This included the rapidly-falling snow and increasingly-buried cars as the streets and sidewalks became indistinguishable from one another. Each of her photographs has a fantastical, otherworldly feel to it, with familiar sights now blanketed in countless white flakes.

Gucwa's blizzard adventure extended beyond the daylight hours. “I ended up venturing back out later at night and caught the tail end of the storm,” she wrote. Her journey took her from the Lower East Side up to 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue, all on foot because of the travel ban on vehicles and public transportation. Despite the harsh conditions, the photographer was amazed at how many people were also outside–it seems that the magic of snowfall appeals to everyone.

Vivienne Gucwa: Website | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Vivienne Gucwa.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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