Northeast Blizzard: Millions Impacted by Historic Storm
A powerful winter storm brought blizzard conditions to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions on Monday, February 23, 2026, causing widespread power outages, travel disruptions, and record-breaking snowfall. Over 40 million people were under blizzard warnings from Maryland to Maine, with multiple states issuing travel bans as the region grappled with hazardous conditions.
Power Outages Across the East Coast
As of 7:15 a.m. EST on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, approximately 353,000 homes and businesses were without power across the East Coast, according to poweroutage.us. Massachusetts experienced the most significant outages, with roughly 255,000 customers affected. New Jersey reported nearly 36,000 outages, while Delaware and Rhode Island also saw tens of thousands of customers losing power.
Flight Cancellations and Travel Chaos
The storm led to the cancellation of more than 11,000 flights between Sunday and Tuesday, according to FlightAware. Air travel was largely suspended from Philadelphia north to Boston, with major hubs in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia experiencing the most significant disruptions. Baltimore and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia were also heavily impacted. Airlines began preemptively canceling flights on Saturday to mitigate the storm’s effects, with over 5,700 cancellations on Monday and more than 3,400 on Sunday.
Over 2,000 U.S. Flights were canceled for Tuesday as airlines worked to resume service in some areas. Airports in Boston and New York City accounted for roughly half of Tuesday’s departing flight cancellations.
Record-Breaking Snowfall Totals
Snow accumulation exceeded 20 inches in many areas, with parts of Long Island and New Jersey reporting over two feet of snow. CBS New York reported that Babylon, New York, received over 29 inches of snow, while Freehold, New Jersey, recorded more than 26 inches. Central Park in New York City accumulated over 19 inches of snow, marking the ninth largest snowfall in the city’s history since records began in 1869.
Travel Bans Lifted, Conditions Remain Hazardous
As the storm subsided, cities began lifting travel bans. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani lifted the ban on all nonessential travel at noon on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, restoring activity to streets that had been largely deserted during the peak of the snowfall. City schools were scheduled to reopen for in-person learning on Tuesday. Mamdani cautioned that road conditions remained icy and dangerous, encouraging residents to use public transportation when possible and to stay indoors if feasible.
New Jersey’s statewide travel ban was lifted around 2 p.m. On Tuesday, though state police urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel. The travel ban in Westchester County, north of New York City, was lifted at 6 p.m.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu urged residents to stay off the roads, stating, “Boston is no stranger to nor’easters, but this is gonna be a big one. And so we demand everyone to just be inside, stay warm, stay safe, and let the plows do their work.” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a travel ban for the South Coast of Massachusetts on Monday, citing dangerous road conditions in Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable counties. She later extended the ban to include Dukes County, encompassing Martha’s Vineyard. Speed limits on the Mass Pike were reduced to 40 mph.
The National Weather Service reported that travel conditions were “nearly impossible” during the height of the storm. Heavy snow and strong winds created blizzard conditions, causing disruptions on Interstate 95 along the Northeast corridor. Drivers in Connecticut were seen pushing their cars stuck in the snow, and numerous wrecks caused significant traffic delays.