Feb. 23, 2026 — Northeastern United States A historic nor’easter and bomb cyclone, dubbed Winter Storm Hernando, struck from New York City to New England on February 22-23, dumping 2 to 3 feet of snow, hurricane-force winds gusting over 75 mph, and causing over 600,000 power outages in blizzard conditions affecting tens of millions.
The storm set snowfall records, including 37.9 inches at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick and 32.8 inches in Providence, while New York City recorded more than 15 inches in Central Park, exceeding recent monthly totals.
New York City imposed a citywide travel ban from 9 p.m. on February 22 to noon on February 23, the first in over a decade, with similar restrictions in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Public schools closed for the first non-remote “old-school snow day” since 2019, according to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“The first old-school snow day since 2019.”
— NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Airlines canceled over 8,000 flights, primarily at JFK, LGA, EWR, and Boston Logan airports, while Amtrak suspended more than 30 trains. States of emergency were declared in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and others, with National Guard activation in multiple states, as reported in the NYT live blog.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned of the storm’s severity:
“Potentially the worst storm in 30 years – stay off the roads.”
— New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill
Thundersnow and winds up to 98 mph gusts battered coastal areas, leading to minor coastal flooding, beach erosion, and two fatalities in Maryland from a fallen tree. Over 40 million people faced impacts, including hundreds of crashes and depleted salt supplies in some areas, per Weather.com updates.
By February 23 morning, more than 511,000 remained without power, primarily in the Northeast. Officials anticipated gradual melting later in the week with above-freezing daytime temperatures.
