Feb. 24, 2026 — Northeast U.S. A powerful bomb cyclone nor’easter, dubbed the Blizzard of 2026 or Winter Storm Hernando by the Weather Channel, struck from New York to Rhode Island starting February 22, dumping 2-3 feet of snow, hurricane-force winds up to 100 mph, and causing widespread power outages and travel chaos affecting over 40 million people along a 600-mile stretch of the I-95 corridor.
Rhode Island shattered its 1978 blizzard record with 36.2 inches in Warwick, 37.9 inches at T.F. Green International Airport, and over 33 inches in Providence, while New York City’s Central Park recorded 19.7-20 inches—its ninth-highest total and first blizzard warning in nearly a decade. Other records included 27.9 inches in Carlstadt, New Jersey; 29.5 inches in Babylon, New York; and 31.8 inches in Norton, Massachusetts, according to the Washington Post and Wikipedia.
States of emergency were declared in New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. New York City imposed its first non-essential vehicle travel ban in over a decade, joined by a statewide ban in New Jersey; more than 8,000 flights were canceled nationwide, including over 5,300 at New York-area airports, and Amtrak and NJ Transit services halted, per New York Times live updates and NBC News.
Over 600,000 power outages peaked during the storm, with more than 511,000 still reported by February 23 morning, alongside at least two confirmed deaths and risks from heavy, wet “heart attack snow.”
“This is as bad as I’ve seen it… We’ll get through this,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said, according to New York Times coverage.
Snow totals map shared on X showing Rhode Island leading with 34+ inches amid record-breaking accumulations. Credit: @HurricaneJasonX.
As of February 24, the storm was winding down, with some transit resuming: NYC subways and buses running with delays, limited Metro-North and LIRR service planned, and NJ Transit light rail restarting in parts. New York City boosted emergency shoveler pay to $30 per hour, deploying over 800 workers.
Eyewitnesses described the intensity. Delivery worker José Lino told the New York Times, “It was very hard, and I was very far from home… It’s not worth the risk.” In Providence, resident Laurie Amat said, “I couldn’t sleep knowing the storm was coming… It’s so exciting.”
Perspective on snow depth during Blizzard of 2026 in Selden, N.Y. Credit: @mattalltradesb.
Schools closed across the region, including NYC’s first snow day since 2019, with coastal flooding and thundersnow adding to disruptions reported by AP News and ABC News.
