February 24, 2026 — A powerful bomb cyclone nor’easter, known as Winter Storm Hernando, struck the U.S. Northeast from Washington, D.C., to Boston on February 22-23, dumping historic snowfall totals of 2 to 3 feet in many areas, shattering records, and causing massive disruptions including over 10,000 flight cancellations, nearly 1 million power outages, and states of emergency in seven states.
The storm brought hurricane-force winds gusting to 83 mph, thundersnow, and whiteout conditions affecting over 40 million people under blizzard warnings. Rhode Island recorded its all-time snowfall high with 37.9 inches in Providence and 36.2 inches in Warwick, while Long Island’s Islip saw 31 inches, potentially the largest since 1963. Other records included 33.7 inches in Whitman, Massachusetts; 31 inches in Central Islip, New York, and Somerset/Berkeley, Massachusetts; 19.1 inches at New York City’s Central Park; and 14 inches in Philadelphia.
“It hit the ‘Goldilocks situation’ of just the right temperature for wet, heavy snow—any warmer and its precipitation wouldn’t have fallen as snow. Any colder and there wouldn’t have been as much moisture in the air to feed that snowfall.”
— Owen Shieh, National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center
Impacts were severe, with over 650,000 power outages peaking nationwide—Massachusetts hardest hit at 282,000-plus—and travel bans in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Major airports in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia grounded thousands of flights, roads became impassable, and schools closed across the region, including Boston Public Schools and a rare full closure in New York City without remote learning.
Meteorologists noted the storm’s rapid intensification, dropping 39-40 millibars in 24 hours to a low of 966 millibars—equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. “>This is about as intense as you can get… a hurricane with snow,” said former National Hurricane Center director Ryan Maue.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said officials would reassess the travel ban Tuesday morning, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced schools would reopen despite the chaos. Cleanup efforts continue amid forecasts for additional snow.
Other notable totals included 30.8 inches in North Stonington, Connecticut; 30.7 inches in Lyndhurst, New Jersey; 24 inches in Mystic, Connecticut; and 21 inches in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, per UPI.
