Feb. 24, 2026 — Northeast U.S. A historic bomb cyclone nor’easter battered the region from Maryland to New Hampshire on February 23-24, dropping more than 2 feet of snow in many areas, with wind gusts reaching 84 mph, nearly 600,000 power outages, over 10,000 flight cancellations, and travel bans in major cities including New York City, where the first blizzard warning in nearly a decade was issued.
Roughly 35 million people were under blizzard warnings as the storm, described as a once-in-a-generation event, prompted states of emergency in New York, New Jersey, and parts of Massachusetts.[https://x.com/NBCNews/status/2025968944712974376] Snow accumulations included 32.8 inches in Providence, Rhode Island, breaking a record; up to 31 inches on Long Island, New York; 30.7 inches in parts of New Jersey; 27 inches in Newark, New Jersey, and Dighton, Massachusetts; 24 inches on Staten Island; and 19.7 inches at Central Park in New York City.[https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/live-updates-how-much-snow-today-accumulation-blizzard-schools-when-snow-end/6467562/][https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-massachusetts-snow-blizzard-updates/3904427]
Power outages peaked at 290,000 customers in Massachusetts and 130,000 in New Jersey, contributing to widespread disruptions, with restoration efforts hampered by high winds and heavy snow.[https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/severe-winter-storm-live-updates-northeast-braces-blizzard?id=130378101] Eversource reported challenges accessing damage sites, stating, > This is a slow-moving, long-duration storm, and the difficult travel conditions… are making restoration more challenging.[https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-massachusetts-snow-blizzard-updates/3904427]
Air travel ground to a halt, with more than 3,000 cancellations at New York-area airports including 1,119 at JFK, 1,034 at LaGuardia, and 1,002 at Newark; Logan Airport in Boston saw 971 cancellations.[https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/live-updates-how-much-snow-today-accumulation-blizzard-schools-when-snow-end/6467562/][https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-massachusetts-snow-blizzard-updates/3904427]
Overturned semi-truck amid heavy snow on Long Island, as reported by Bay Shore Fire Department (NBC New York).
Travel bans were enforced in New York City until noon on February 24, New Jersey until noon, and Massachusetts’ South Coast counties, with extensions in some areas like Hoboken, New Jersey. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents: > Stay indoors as much as possible… conditions on the roads remain icy.[https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/severe-winter-storm-live-updates-northeast-braces-blizzard?id=130378101]
In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency for most counties and issued a travel advisory, saying: > This is a serious storm, and there are dangerous road conditions out there.[https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-massachusetts-snow-blizzard-updates/3904427] Schools closed across the region, including New York City public schools on February 23, with Boston extending its snow emergency parking ban through February 25.
Cleanup efforts continue as winds subside, but icy roads and lingering snow pose ongoing hazards. Officials expect power restoration to take days in hardest-hit areas.
