February 24, 2026 — A bomb cyclone nor’easter, dubbed Winter Storm Hernando, struck the US Northeast from the Mid-Atlantic to New England starting February 22, delivering record snowfall up to 38 inches at Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport, hurricane-force wind gusts exceeding 70 mph, power outages peaking at over 650,000 customers, and more than 10,000 flight cancellations.
The storm, which rapidly intensified into blizzard conditions, prompted states of emergency in multiple states, travel bans in New York City and elsewhere, and school closures across the region, including New York City’s first full snow day in years with no remote learning. Public transit faced delays or suspensions, Broadway shows were canceled, and operations like DoorDash halted deliveries in NYC.
Snow totals shattered records in several locations: 37.9 inches in Providence, Rhode Island; 33.7 inches in Whitman, Massachusetts; 31 inches in Central Islip, New York; and nearly 38 inches at T.F. Green, surpassing the 1978 mark, according to reports from CNN, AP News, and Weather.com. New York City areas like Central Park saw 19 inches, with LaGuardia Airport recording 22.2 inches.
“We haven’t seen a storm like this in a decade. Some parts of the city could see up to 28in,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said ahead of the peak impacts.
Power outages affected hundreds of thousands, with Massachusetts hit hardest at over 282,000, followed by New Jersey and others; restoration efforts were hampered by downed trees and lines from heavy, wet snow and winds gusting to 83 mph on Nantucket. Flight disruptions were severe, with over 3,500 cancellations at New York-area airports alone.
Pedestrians navigate heavy snow in Times Square, New York City. (Image via AP News)
The National Weather Service described ideal “Goldilocks” conditions—clashing Arctic air and moisture—that fueled the monster snowfall, marking the strongest storm in a decade for some areas and the heaviest in NYC since 2016 per New York Times live updates. At least two storm-related deaths were reported, including a tree falling on a vehicle in Maryland.
Aerial view showing intense snow from the rapidly intensifying bomb cyclone. (Image via @MrMBB333 on X)
Governors in seven states declared emergencies, and outreach efforts relocated homeless individuals to shelters amid the paralysis. More snow was possible later in the week, with cleanup expected to take days.
