February 23, 2026 — Northeastern United States A powerful nor’easter dubbed the February 2026 North American blizzard, also known as Winter Storm Hernando or the Blizzard of 2026, struck from February 22-23, dumping up to 36 inches of snow in parts of New England, with wind gusts reaching 98 mph, prompting states of emergency in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, over 600,000 power outages, and more than 5,600 flight cancellations nationwide primarily at major airports including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Boston Logan.
The storm set new daily snowfall records in the New York City tri-state area and marked the first blizzard warning for NYC since 2017 and for New Jersey since 1996. Snow totals included 19.7 inches at Central Park in NYC (ninth-highest on record), 27.1 inches in Newark, N.J., 36 inches near Providence, R.I., and 14.4 inches at Boston Logan. High winds caused coastal flooding and power disruptions, with nearly 290,000 outages in Massachusetts alone and restoration potentially taking days.
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani declared a local state of emergency, imposing a travel ban from 9 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday, closing schools, and opening warming centers citywide.
NYC, we’ve declared a local state of emergency ahead of this blizzard. Roads closed at 9pm — streets, highways, and bridges closed to all vehicles (cars, trucks, scooters, e-bikes) through 12pm Monday. Essential and emergency trips only. No school Monday: snow day, not remote. Warming centers: open citywide. Parking: alternate side suspended Monday.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill issued a statewide travel ban starting 9 p.m. Sunday, the first in 30 years, while NJ Transit suspended all service. In Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee enacted a travel ban amid 36-inch accumulations.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency—the first Boston blizzard since 2022—restricting travel in coastal counties and lowering speed limits on major roads.
“The snow is still coming down pretty hard… We’ll let you know when you can be back on the roads.”
Providence spokesman Josh Estrella called it “the most historic blizzard we’ve received.” The storm caused two fatalities, including one from a falling tree in Maryland, and led to National Guard deployments.
