Feb. 23, 2026 — Northeast United States A historic nor’easter, the February 2026 North American blizzard, also dubbed Winter Storm Hernando, is battering the region from Maryland to Maine with 2-3 feet of snow, hurricane-force wind gusts up to 98 mph, and blizzard conditions affecting over 40 million people under warnings.
The storm has led to more than 600,000 power outages concentrated in New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, two fatalities in Maryland from a fallen tree, and widespread travel chaos including over 8,000 flight cancellations and 22,000 delays at major airports like those in New York, Boston, and Newark.[1][4]
Snowfall records include 36 inches in Providence, Rhode Island, 36.2 inches in Warwick, Rhode Island, 27.9 inches in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and 19 inches in New York City’s Central Park, with new daily records set in the New York tri-state area.[2] Intense snowbands, thundersnow, and whiteouts have exacerbated impacts in the Northeast megalopolis including New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Providence.
Travel bans are in effect statewide in New Jersey, citywide in New York City, and on major roadways in Pennsylvania and Delaware, with public transit suspensions including NJ Transit, Metro-North, and Long Island Rail Road.[7] Schools are closed across New York City, Philadelphia implemented virtual learning, and numerous closures occurred in New England states.[1]
National Weather Service meteorologist Bryce Williams warned of prolonged outages:
“Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages. That’s what we’re most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.”[7]
States of emergency have been declared in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, with National Guard activations and warming centers opened.
As of Monday morning, the bomb cyclone continues to pull heavy snow and gusty winds into New England before moving toward Atlantic Canada, according to live updates.[5][6]
