Feb. 24, 2026 — Northeast United States A historic bomb cyclone blizzard battered New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and surrounding states on Monday, dumping up to 33.5 inches of snow in Rhode Island and 28.7 inches in southeastern Massachusetts, with gusts reaching 80 mph on Long Island and 78 mph on Nantucket, prompting travel bans across multiple areas, more than 9,000 flight cancellations since Sunday and power outages affecting over 650,000 customers regionwide.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani imposed a citywide travel ban from Sunday evening until noon Monday to address life-threatening conditions, which included 19.7 inches of snow at Central Park—ranking among the city’s top 10 snowstorms—and up to 29.5 inches on Long Island. The ban was lifted midday Monday as subways and buses resumed with delays. Similar restrictions hit neighboring New Jersey and a statewide ban in Rhode Island.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey issued a travel ban for Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties Monday afternoon amid over two feet of snow on the South Coast, abandoned vehicles and difficult towing conditions. “This is a serious storm, and there are dangerous road conditions out there, especially on the South Coast,” Healey said. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee urged residents to stay off roads, stating, > “People who are out there unnecessarily clogging our roads are putting others’ safety at risk. We need to stay off the roads.” (Boston Globe live updates)
Air travel ground to a halt, with nearly 9,000 flights canceled since Sunday at major hubs including New York’s JFK and LaGuardia (98% canceled Monday), Boston Logan (92% departures) and Newark. Business Insider reported power outages exceeding 650,000 customers across affected states, including over 410,000 in Massachusetts and New Jersey alone. The New York Post noted 657,000 outages from Boston to Washington, D.C., with more than 350,000 in the NYC metro area.
States including Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island declared emergencies, activating National Guard units and opening shelters. Additional impacts included the Port of New York and New Jersey shutdown, stranded travelers, school closures and suspended deliveries in cities like Boston and NYC. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned, “The worst is yet to come.”
Whiteout conditions with visibility under a quarter-mile persisted, alongside thundersnow and coastal flooding risks. Cleanup efforts continued into Tuesday, with schools reopening amid safety concerns.
