Feb. 24, 2026 — Northeast U.S. — Winter Storm Hernando, a powerful bomb cyclone tracked by The Weather Channel, pummeled New England, New York, New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic from February 22-24, dropping record snowfall exceeding 3 feet in Rhode Island, hurricane-force wind gusts up to 79 mph in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, thundersnow and life-threatening blizzard conditions for tens of millions.
The storm, documented as the February 2026 North American blizzard on Wikipedia, shattered snowfall records including 32.8 inches over two days at Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport, surpassing the prior mark of 28.6 inches from 1978. Providence saw 33.5 inches in nearby areas, while New York City accumulated 19.7 inches at Central Park and up to 29.5 inches on Long Island.
Impacts included more than 650,000 power outages nationwide, peaking over 500,000 in Massachusetts alone, over 9,900 flight cancellations, school closures across the region—including New York City’s first full snow day in years—and travel bans such as New York City’s first in over a decade and Massachusetts’ statewide restrictions for non-essential vehicles. States of emergency were declared in at least seven states.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey described conditions as “life-threatening, with visibility at or near zero,” prompting an immediate travel ban. The National Guard was deployed in some areas amid downed power lines and trees.
For Northeast blizzard, everything was just right to roll up a monster snowfall. A record more than 3 feet in RI. Hurricane-force winds. Thundersnow. So intense & beautiful meteorologists are rhapsodizing about it.
GOES East satellite imagery captured the cyclone’s rapid intensification off the coast, including lightning flashes indicative of thundersnow. ABC News reported more than 40 million under blizzard warnings, with video footage showing whiteout conditions.
As of February 24, recovery efforts continue with power restoration underway and roads being cleared, though additional snow is forecast into mid-week.
