Feb. 24, 2026 — Northeast U.S. A powerful bomb cyclone nor’easter struck the region on February 23, dumping up to three feet of snow, hurricane-force wind gusts reaching 98 mph and causing widespread power outages for over 600,000 customers, more than 10,000 flight cancellations and states of emergency across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The storm, which underwent explosive cyclogenesis with a pressure drop to 965 millibars, paralyzed travel along the I-95 corridor from New York City to New England, prompting travel bans and school closures. Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport near Providence recorded a record 37.9 inches of snow, shattering previous marks, while Whitman, Massachusetts, saw 33.7 inches and Islip, New York, 31 inches.
Wind gusts hit 98 mph at Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and 83 mph at Nantucket, downing trees and power lines, according to Wikipedia and Watchers News. Over 500,000 outages peaked in Massachusetts (275,000), New Jersey and elsewhere, per CNN and NYT.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency with a nonessential vehicle ban until noon on Feb. 23. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee enacted a statewide travel ban, later reassessing conditions.
“This appears to be the most historic blizzard we’ve received.”
— Josh Estrella, spokesman for Providence, Rhode Island (NYT)
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey imposed restrictions in several counties to aid utility crews.
A historic winter storm is slamming the Northeast with fierce blizzard conditions—NYC under a travel ban until noon.
“This is a bomb cyclone… moves in fast and creates major visibility issues.” pic.twitter.com/abc123
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) February 23, 2026
More than 10,000 flights were canceled nationwide, primarily at New York and Boston airports (CNN). Schools in Boston and Providence closed Feb. 24; New York City schools reopened.
As of Feb. 24, cleanup continued with plows resuming in Providence after whiteout halts and power restoration underway amid gusty winds. Officials warned of lingering hazards from heavy, wet snow.
