February 24, 2026 — New York A powerful nor’easter dubbed a “bomb cyclone” struck the U.S. Northeast from February 22-23, dumping up to 37.9 inches of snow in Rhode Island and nearly 20 inches in New York City, with wind gusts reaching 70 mph, leading New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to declare a state of emergency and impose a travel ban on non-essential vehicles until noon on February 23—the first major one in over a decade.
The storm, affecting areas from Philadelphia to Cape Cod and beyond, shattered records in Providence, Rhode Island, with 33 inches of snow surpassing the 1978 blizzard mark, according to New York Times live updates. Similar emergency declarations and travel restrictions were issued in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey and other states by governors including Kathy Hochul of New York and Maura Healey of Massachusetts, closing schools, halting transit and canceling Broadway shows.
Snow falls heavily in Downtown Brooklyn on February 23, 2026. (Photo via X user @butcallmelola)
Impacts included over 5,600 flights canceled nationwide, primarily at JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Boston Logan and Philadelphia airports, with thousands more affected the following day, per NYT and BBC reports. Power outages surpassed 500,000 customers across the region, with nearly 300,000 in Massachusetts alone and 90,000 in New Jersey. Subways, buses and trains faced delays or suspensions, including NJ Transit halting all service indefinitely.
Mayor Mamdani boosted emergency shoveler pay to $30 per hour, deploying over 800 workers, 2,600 sanitation staff, 2,300 plows and 700 salt spreaders citywide. In an X post, he urged New Yorkers: “Work alongside New York City’s Strongest as we get through this historic storm.”
“Make an enormous pot of soup and bring it to your neighbors upstairs.” — NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
“This appears to be the most historic blizzard we’ve received.” — Josh Estrella, Providence city spokesman
Governors echoed calls to stay home. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey stated, “For everyone’s own safety, we beg and ask everybody to stay off of the roads so that the crews can get out there and do what they need to do.” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee described it as an “all-hands-on-deck response.”
New York City sanitation workers deployed during the storm. (Photo via @NYCMayor)
Cleanup continues into the week, with more snow possible mid-week. No outdoor deaths among the homeless were reported in NYC, thanks to outreach efforts. The National Weather Service mapped heaviest bands over New England, where totals exceeded 30 inches in multiple Massachusetts towns.
