A historic winter storm, unofficially named “Winter Storm Hernando,” has brought the U.S. Northeast to a near standstill. The powerful bomb cyclone hit the region on Monday, February 23, 2026. It triggered blizzard warnings for New York City and Boston for the first time in years and left over 40 million people under emergency alerts.

From Maryland to Maine, the storm rapidly intensified, dropping more than 30 millibars of pressure in less than 24 hours. This created whiteout conditions and hurricane-force wind gusts. The Interstate 95 corridor turned into a graveyard of stranded vehicles.

Aviation meltdown: 10,000 flights scrubbed

The storm’s impact on air travel has been severe. According to FlightAware, more than 10,000 flights were cancelled from Saturday to Tuesday as the storm peaked.

On Monday, over 5,600 cancellations happened nationwide. New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports reported nearly 98% of their flights were grounded.

Major terminals in Boston, Newark, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. suspended operations.

While airlines hope to restart service on Tuesday, February 24, more than 1,700 flights have already been cancelled as crews work to de-ice runways and reposition aircraft.

Travel bans and record snowfall

Authorities in eight states declared states of emergency and enacted travel bans to prevent deaths on dangerous roads.

Snowfall totals as of Monday evening:

• Providence, RI: 32.8 inches (breaking the record from 1978)
• Babylon, NY: 29.5 inches
• Newark, NJ: 27.1 inches (breaking the 2016 record)
• New York City (Central Park): 19.7 inches, marking the ninth-snowiest day in the city’s 157-year history.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani imposed a non-essential travel ban until noon on Monday. He urged residents to “stay cosy” as the city faced its first traditional snow day without remote learning since 2019.

600,000 without power amid 75 MPH gusts

The storm’s strong winds, which peaked at 77 mph in Wellfleet, MA, caused significant damage. As of Monday evening, over 600,000 homes and businesses across the East Coast were without power.

Massachusetts (with over 289,000 outages) and New Jersey (with over 141,000 outages) suffered the most damage.

Utility companies like EverSource warned that restoring power could take several days. Deep snowdrifts and fallen trees complicate repairs.

Fatalities and emergency response

Tragically, the blizzard has already been linked to at least two deaths in Maryland after a tree fell on a car. In New York and Massachusetts, governors activated hundreds of National Guard members for snow removal and emergency rescues.

With temperatures expected to stay well below freezing, officials warn of flash freeze conditions on Tuesday morning, making the post-storm commute extremely risky.