February 24, 2026 — Northeast US A historic bomb cyclone, unofficially named Winter Storm Hernando or the Blizzard of 2026, struck the Northeast starting February 22-23, dumping 2-3 feet of snow in parts of New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts while prompting states of emergency in several areas.
Governors and mayors issued emergency declarations, including New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, leading to widespread travel bans across affected regions, according to NBC News and CNN.
The storm disrupted air travel with over 10,000 flight cancellations at airports including JFK, LGA, and EWR, left more than 600,000 people without power, and stranded millions amid whiteout conditions and road closures, as detailed in live updates from the New York Times and Washington Post coverage.
Record snowfall shattered previous marks, with Providence, Rhode Island, receiving over 32 inches—surpassing the 1978 record—and Warwick, Rhode Island, logging 36.2 inches. New York City accumulated 20 inches, while areas near Westhampton, New York, saw 27 inches and Richmond, Rhode Island, 26 inches, per reports from NBC News, the Washington Post, New York Times, and ABC News.
Blizzard warnings affected more than 40 million people, forcing school and business closures and homebound conditions for millions, according to the Associated Press. Eyewitness posts on X highlighted power outages and travel chaos, including confirmations of the New Jersey emergency and New York City bans from accounts like @thelocalreport8 and @GDeskUSA.
The storm drew comparisons to past historic events and extended impacts from the Ohio Valley to Atlantic Canada, with international carriers like Air India issuing advisories for disruptions in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
