Feb. 24, 2026 — A powerful bomb cyclone dubbed Winter Storm Hernando struck the U.S. Northeast from Maryland to Maine over February 22-23, delivering historic snowfall exceeding 2 feet in many areas—up to 37.9 inches at Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport—gusts up to 98 mph, power outages for over 600,000 customers, more than 8,000 flight cancellations, and travel bans including New York City’s first since 2017.
The extratropical cyclone rapidly intensified off the North Carolina coast early on February 22, reaching peak intensity on February 23 with blizzard warnings issued along the I-95 corridor for over 40 million people. Record snowfalls shattered previous marks, including Providence, Rhode Island’s 32.8 inches over two days, surpassing the 1978 Blizzard of ’78 record, as reported in live updates.
Widespread impacts included over 650,000 power outages at peak, primarily in Massachusetts (nearly 290,000) and New Jersey. More than 5,600 flights were canceled nationwide on February 23 alone, with major disruptions at New York-area airports like JFK (1,087 cancellations) and LaGuardia. Public transit halted in parts of New Jersey and New York, and Amtrak canceled over 30 trains.
New York City imposed a travel ban until noon on February 24 for non-essential vehicles, the first such measure in years, while states of emergency were declared in New York, New Jersey, and parts of New England. Schools closed across the region, including a full snow day in NYC public schools.
“These are dangerous conditions. Not only is snow continuing to fall, accumulated snowfall and refreezing have made it hazardous to travel… If you can, remain indoors.”
— New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill urged residents: >”Stay off the roads.”
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey warned of “life-threatening” conditions on South Coast roads.
By February 24, blizzard warnings had expired in most areas, though gusty winds caused drifting snow and hazardous travel persisted. Two fatalities were reported, including a tree falling on a car in Maryland, alongside hundreds of crashes and minor coastal flooding.
The storm, compared to the 1996 Northeast blizzard as the worst in over 30 years, marked first-time blizzard warnings for all 21 New Jersey counties since 1996 and other regions since 2017.
