A ferocious bomb cyclone intensified into a historic blizzard early Monday, February 23, 2026, blanketing New York City with over a foot of heavy, wet snow and ferocious winds, effectively grounding nearly all commercial flights at the region's major airports and bringing the metropolis to a near standstill.

New York City
New York City

The storm, dubbed the "Blizzard of 2026," rapidly deepened overnight Sunday into Monday, dropping central pressure by more than 30 millibars in hours to achieve bomb cyclone status. Blizzard warnings covered New York City and surrounding areas, with whiteout conditions, wind gusts up to 60 mph or higher, and snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour creating life-threatening travel hazards.

By mid-morning Monday, John F. Kennedy International Airport had canceled nearly 90% of flights, LaGuardia Airport 98%, and Newark Liberty International Airport 87%, according to FlightAware tracking data. More than 5,000 to 10,000 U.S. flights were canceled nationwide from Sunday through Tuesday, with the vast majority tied to the Northeast corridor. Delays numbered in the thousands, stranding travelers and disrupting global air travel networks.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a local state of emergency and imposed a non-emergency travel ban across the five boroughs until at least noon Monday, with extensions possible. Similar restrictions took effect in New Jersey and Rhode Island. Public transit halted or severely limited operations, schools closed, Broadway shows canceled, and even food delivery services like DoorDash suspended service in parts of the city overnight.

Snowfall totals climbed quickly: Central Park recorded more than 13 to 15 inches by early Monday, with Brooklyn and other boroughs reporting higher accumulations. Forecasters warned of up to 20 to 24 inches in some areas before the storm tapered. The heavy, wet snow combined with intense winds toppled trees, snapped power lines and caused widespread outages.

PowerOutage.us reported over 500,000 to 575,000 customers without electricity across the Northeast, from Boston to Washington, D.C., including significant numbers in New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York. Restoration efforts faced major obstacles due to ongoing blizzard conditions, with utilities prioritizing critical infrastructure.

The National Weather Service described the event as a "classic bomb cyclone/nor'easter," intensified by the Gulf Stream and jet stream dynamics. Thundersnow was reported in Manhattan, adding to the storm's drama. Blizzard conditions persisted into Monday afternoon in many spots, with near hurricane-force gusts and visibility reduced to a quarter-mile or less.

Governor Kathy Hochul activated state resources early, warning of the storm's historic potential — the first official blizzard warning for New York City since 2017 and the most severe in nearly a decade. Officials urged residents to stay indoors, prepare emergency kits and avoid carbon monoxide risks from improper generator use.

The storm's impact extended beyond New York: Boston, Philadelphia and other cities faced similar chaos, with travel bans, school closures and power disruptions. Over 40 million people were under blizzard warnings across 11 states.

Airlines scrambled to rebook passengers, but recovery could take days as crews cleared runways and aircraft repositioned. Major carriers like Delta, American and United reported massive cancellations at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, hubs critical to domestic and international routes.

As the storm slowly moved offshore, forecasters anticipated gradual improvement by late Monday into Tuesday, with winds easing and snow tapering. However, refreezing and melting issues posed secondary risks.

The Blizzard of 2026 underscored vulnerabilities in the densely populated Northeast to extreme winter weather, amplified by rapid intensification. With millions hunkered down, attention turned to recovery as the region dug out from one of its most paralyzing storms in recent memory.