February 24, 2026 — New York City and Boston — A massive nor’easter, referred to as Winter Storm Hernando or a bomb cyclone, dumped over 2 feet of snow across parts of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other areas, prompting New York City’s first travel ban in over a decade, more than 10,000 flight cancellations, school closures, states of emergency in multiple states and power outages affecting over 600,000 customers.
The storm paralyzed travel along 700 miles of the East Coast, with over 7,400 flights canceled and road shutdowns from Maryland to Maine, according to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Blizzard warnings covered 40 million people, with whiteout conditions and 2 feet or more of snow in 21 locations, as noted by The Guardian and CBS News.
States including New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Connecticut issued travel bans and states of emergency amid extreme weather, NBC News live updates reported. Power outages exceeded 600,000 customers, including over 90,000 in New Jersey alone, per BBC and USA Today.
Image: Intensifying blizzard conditions from The Washington Post.
Forecasters described a “Goldilocks” meteorological setup enabling record snow potential in cities like Boston and New York, with rapid intensification challenges noted just 48 hours prior by CNN and The Washington Post. NBC10 Boston called it the strongest blizzard in a decade, amid reports of thundersnow and 22+ inches in New Jersey.
Historic intensity from [NBC10 Boston](https://x.com/NBC10Boston/status/2026062301946585506).
— NBC10 Boston (@NBC10Boston)
Safety concerns included carbon monoxide risks during outages from ABC News and heart attack risks from heavy shoveling per Fox News. Live outage maps tracked impacts via Bloomberg.
