Feb. 23, 2026 — Northeast U.S. A massive winter storm dubbed the Great Northeast Blizzard is pounding the region from Maryland to Maine with heavy snowfall up to 2 feet in parts of New Jersey and Long Island, wind gusts reaching 84 mph and blizzard warnings affecting over 69 million people, according to NBC News live updates.
More than 600,000 utility customers are without power, primarily in Massachusetts with nearly 300,000 outages, followed by New Jersey. Nationwide flight cancellations exceed 5,300, including over 2,500 in the New York area where airports like JFK, LaGuardia and Newark report nearly all flights halted. States of emergency have been declared in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and by seven governors overall, with travel bans and commercial vehicle restrictions in place.
New York City has recorded 16-19 inches of snow citywide, with Central Park at over 15 inches, 9-12 inches in Manhattan and the Bronx, and up to 2 feet in eastern Staten Island. Winds gusted to 60 mph in NYC and 84 mph in Montauk, New York, creating whiteout conditions defined by the National Weather Service as winds over 35 mph with visibility under a quarter-mile for at least three hours.
NYC Mayor Mamdani stated, > “The worst has passed” and urged residents: > “These are dangerous conditions. Not only is snow continuing to fall, accumulated snowfall and refreezing have made it hazardous to travel. If you can, remain indoors.”
No deaths have been reported in NYC streets or public areas. New Jersey is under its first blizzard warning in three decades, per NBC News.
Meteorologist Matt Devitt compared the storm to a Category 2 hurricane due to its low pressure of 967 millibars and noted an “eye” developing on radar:
If this was Hurricane Season, the Northeast Blizzard would be comparable to a Category 2 Hurricane in terms of pressure (967 mb by Monday). Note the eye starting to develop on future radar from this 1,200 mile-wide Nor’easter too. Snow totals over 20″+ in spots expected with hurricane force gusts between 75 – 85 mph from Long Island to Nantucket and Cape Cod.
Additional coverage confirms impacts: AP News reports millions stuck at home under whiteout conditions; NPR details warnings across MD, DE, NJ, PA, NY, CT, RI and MA; The New York Times covers NYC and New England digging out; USA Today notes halted travel; ABC News reports 80 mph gusts; Washington Post forecasts toward 2 feet; Forbes early NYC totals at 7 inches.
