Feb. 24, 2026 — A powerful nor’easter dubbed Winter Storm Hernando, intensifying into a bomb cyclone, battered the Northeastern United States from Maryland to Maine over February 22-24, shattering snowfall records with up to 37.9 inches in Rhode Island while causing over 600,000 power outages, thousands of flight cancellations, and travel bans in multiple states.
The storm produced blizzard conditions with hurricane-force winds gusting to 98 mph in Massachusetts, heavy snow rates exceeding 2-3 inches per hour, and at least two fatalities in Maryland from a tree falling on a car, according to Wikipedia’s overview. States of emergency were declared in seven states including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
Record snowfalls included 37.9 inches at T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island—breaking Providence’s previous mark—and 31 inches at Islip, New York, per USA Today snowfall reports and the Associated Press. New York City’s Central Park recorded 19.7 inches, while Boston saw about 15 inches. Other highs: 33.7 inches in Whitman, Massachusetts; 30.8 inches in North Stonington, Connecticut; and 22.1 inches near Philadelphia.
Power outages peaked above 600,000 customers, with nearly 300,000 in Massachusetts alone, as reported in NBC News live updates. Flight cancellations surpassed 5,685 nationwide, led by New York-area airports like JFK with over 1,000, according to Business Insider.
“This is the biggest snowstorm that we’ve ever seen, and the blizzard conditions will only complicate that,” Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee said.
“Totals in many places the state have already exceeded 2 feet, certainly in eastern Massachusetts, and it’s going to continue to keep falling,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey stated.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay indoors amid hazardous conditions, while Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker noted travel difficulties. Travel bans were enforced in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with schools closed including remote learning in major cities.
Meteorologists highlighted the storm’s rapid intensification—a 39-millibar pressure drop qualifying as bombogenesis—creating ideal conditions for heavy, wet snow. “It hit the ‘Goldilocks situation’ of just the right temperature,” National Weather Service meteorologist Owen Shieh told the AP. Former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue called it comparable to history’s most impressive blizzards.
As of Feb. 24, the storm moved offshore, but cleanup continued amid refreezing risks and black ice warnings.
