LIVE UPDATES: Deadly Bomb Cyclone Hernando Slams Northeast, As Record Snowfall Causes 600,000+ Power Outages
LIVE UPDATES: Deadly Bomb Cyclone Hernando Slams Northeast, As Record Snowfall Causes 600,000+ Power Outages
Sean Breslin Mon, February 23, 2026 at 8:38 PM UTC
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Snow is stacking up fast and winds are causing widespread power outages as Winter Storm Hernando barrels through its second day, now officially a powerhouse “bomb cyclone” storm attributed to multiple deaths in the Northeast.
Winter weather alerts stretch through multiple states and governors in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have declared states of emergency.
With some snowfall records shattered, thousands of flights canceled and more than 600,000 customers sitting in the dark, even the Hurricane Hunters are flying into the storm to gather data, a sign this is no ordinary winter blast.
Stay with us all day and refresh this page frequently so you can see the latest information.
(MORE: What To Expect From Hernando | Maps Tracker Page)
(03:38 p.m. EST) Providence Sees Snowiest Days On Record
From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:
Providence’s T.F. Green Airport has just officially reported a 2-day snowfall total of 32.8 inches. This is now the snowiest two days on record, breaking the previous record of 28.6 inches from the infamous "Blizzard of '78.”
They have also already seen 30.4 inches today alone, which smashes the previous 1-day record of 19 inches ending January 8, 1996.
Here are the latest snowfall totals from the area:
East Providence: 33.5 inches
North Kingstown: 33.5 inches
TF Green Airport: 32.8 inches
Glocester: 32.1 inches
Warwick: 31.5 inches
(03:19 p.m. EST) Power Poles Snapped On Nantucket
Power outages from this storm could be long lasting on Nantucket, where footage from local media shows power poles covered in snow, snapped in half and laying by the road.
Power outages are nearing 290,000 across the state of Massachusetts.
(03:00 p.m. EST) Crashes Mount In Maryland
The storm is keeping troopers busy across Maryland, where Maryland State Police say they’ve handled more than 1,190 calls for service and responded to nearly 343 crashes from snow making roads slick. About 4 inches fell in Baltimore, with parts of Baltimore County seeing close to 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Police say nearly 30% of calls came from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where a Blizzard Warning remains in effect through this evening thanks to strong wind gusts.
(02:41 p.m. EST) Snow Hammers Boston, New York City
From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:
More snowfall totals are coming in across the major metropolitan cities. Here are some of the latest:
LaGuardia, NY: 22.2 inches
JFK, NY: 19.8 inches
Central Park, NY: 19.7 inches
Logan Airport, MA: 14.4 inches
Philadelphia, PA: 14.0 inches
Winter weather alerts have expired for Philadelphia at this time, and New York City's blizzard warnings will expire later today. Boston’s blizzard warning lasts until Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. EST.
(02:20 p.m. EST) How Does A Bomb Cyclone Compare To A Hurricane?
A bomb cyclone can look a lot like a hurricane, bringing powerful winds, heavy precipitation (snow, in this case) and even a dramatic spinning shape that shows up on satellite images.
See for yourself in this shot of Winter Storm Hernando swirling just off the East Coast today:
But that’s mostly where the similarities end. Unlike hurricanes, which feed on warm, tropical waters and have a warm core, bomb cyclones form when a low-pressure system, usually at higher latitudes, strengthens rapidly when cold air meets warmer ocean waters. Because cold air is involved, these keep a cold core.
(02:02 p.m. EST) NYC Schools To Reopen
New York City public schools are set to reopen Tuesday, Mayor Mamdani announced this afternoon. Today’s day off was an unexpected extra day tacked onto the city’s midwinter break, their first true, old-fashioned snow day with no remote learning since before the pandemic in 2019.
Mamdani said the state had to approve a waiver for today’s snow day, noting that with break just ending, many students didn’t have their devices at home and some families and teachers were stranded during their vacation travel by hundreds of storm-related flight cancellations.
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images(01:46 p.m. EST) For The Record
Things are getting wild in Rhodes Island. T. F. Green Airport in Providence is reporting a jaw-dropping 32-inch snow depth change since the storm began, with snow falling at an incredible rate of about 4 inches per hour.
Now, it’s important to note we’re still waiting on the official totals, but that number could top the city’s all-time snowstorm record of 28.6 inches, set in 1978.
Also in Providence, local media is reporting some smaller plows haven’t been able to do their jobs, as they themselves have been getting stuck in the heavy snow.
(01:27 p.m. EST) Snowfall Totals
From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:
We have officially seen a snowfall storm total top 30 inches with this powerful winter storm. Here are some notable snowfall totals:
Warwick, Rhode Island: 31.5 inches
Babylon, New York: 29.5 inches
Carlstadt, New Jersey: 27.9 inches
Dighton,. Massachusetts: 27.1 inches
East Providence, Rhode Island: 26 inches
Snowfall is continuing, so we will continue to monitor totals. Some records could be in jeopardy, and we will be watching.
(01:05 p.m. EST) Two Killed In Winter Storm-Related Wreck
We’re seeing the first reports of possible deaths being attributed to this historic storm.
Deputies with the Calvert County Sheriff's Office in Maryland say they responded to the scene of a serious crash on Sunday afternoon, finding two passengers dead and one in critical condition.
Early findings show that a tree, weighed down after up to five inches of snow fell in the area, toppled into the roadway and struck the vehicle.
(12:48 p.m. EST) Domino Effect At Airports Nationwide
This winter storm isn’t just causing problems in one place, it’s creating a ripple effect across the country. In Salt Lake City, more than 40 flights were canceled because of the storm, even though today’s forecast there is sunny with highs in the 50s.
Salt Lake is just one example. Since the storm began yesterday, more than 9,900 flights have been canceled nationwide, according to FlightAware.com, with hundreds more already canceled for tomorrow.
(12:24 p.m. EST) What Is The Difference Between a Blizzard and A Snowstorm?
From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:
With blizzard warnings still in effect for cities like New York City and Boston, we want to explain what really makes these conditions different from just a regular snowstorm.
Well, blizzards actually have a definition by the National Weather Service:
Winds gust to 35 mph
Visibility drops to a quarter of a mile or less
Heavy falling or blowing snow
Conditions have to last like this for 3 hours
So, snowstorms can actually have some of these criteria. But, all of these have to be occurring simultaneously for a blizzard to be officially ongoing.
Also, a blizzard can still occur even if there is no new falling snow. Should the winds stay strong enough, you can meet the criteria for a blizzard without new snow falling.
(11:58 a.m. EST) New Photos Sum Up Travel Hazards
We’re getting a fresh look at just how paralyzing Winter Storm Hernando has become, and the latest images are pretty eye-opening. In New York’s Times Square, pedestrians are stuck in thick, heavy snow, while a New Jersey train station sits buried and nearly unrecognizable.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey
In Boston, a city bus appears stuck in near-whiteout conditions. Meanwhile, a brave New Yorker took to standing on top of his truck to try to free it from the snow.
Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
AP Photo/Heather Khalifa(11:43 a.m. EST) Three More Rounds?
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
We don’t want to rub it in, but there is more in the forecast for parts of the Northeast after today.
Some light snow is expected to move in Tuesday night into Wednesday. Again, emphasis on the word light.
Another round of light snow, sleet, freezing rain, even rain for some could arrive Thursday and continue into Thursday night or early Friday.
While there’s considerable uncertainty, another snow (or rain) maker could sweep into the Northeast a week from now.
As always, check back with us at our weather.com homepage for the latest on all this.
(11:24 a.m. EST) Emergency Shovelers Turn Out In Force
From executive producer Ron Brackett:
It's not just snow plows clearing streets in New York. The city had 575 emergency snow shovelers on the job overnight. They cleared 1,500 crosswalks, 400 fire hydrants and 900 bus stops, according to the New York Times.
The city’s Department of Sanitation hires emergency shovelers when a big storm hits the city. Their pay starts at $19.14 an hour and rises to $28.71 an hour after the first 40 hours worked in a week.
New York City Department of Sanitation(11:01 a.m. EST) Power Outages Top 650,000
More than 650,000 customers are now in the dark nationwide, according to PowerOutge.us, with Massachusetts hit hardest at more than a quarter of a million outages, followed by New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island and Maryland.
With heavy snow still falling and roads nearly impassable across this densely populated region, officials are warning the lights may stay out for a while.
(10:43 a.m. EST) 6 Hours, Nonstop Snow
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
The most prolific snowfalls outside higher elevations occur when the most intense snowbands stall over an area for several hours.
That’s essentially what we’ve seen along the Eastern Seaboard from Delaware to southern New England.
The animation below shows the radar at just after 4 a.m., then just after 10 a.m. ET. Notice the heavy bands of snow hardly moved along the East Coast.
(10:22 a.m. EST) Central Park In 15+ Inches Of Snow
From senior writer Chris DeWeese:
I don’t experience weather-related FOMO very often, but this photo of people walking through 15+ inches of fresh snow in New York City’s Central Park this morning is really making me wish I lived close by and could see the whole park like this.
Ryan Murphy/Getty Images(09:56 a.m. EST) Eat Your Heart Out, Abbey Road
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Admittedly, this photo does bear a striking resemblance to a Beatles album — only with about a foot of snow added.
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(09:32 a.m. EST) New Jersey Travel Restriction Extended
Because conditions remain so poor statewide, a travel restriction that was originally set to expire at 7 a.m. has been extended until noon, the state's office of emergency management announced on social media.
(09:11 a.m. EST) Watch Winter Storm Hernando On Satellite
Satellite footage captured by CIRA/CSU shows Winter Storm Hernando as it moved up the East Coast yesterday. This clip shows the storm’s progression from 5 a.m. to midnight EST.
(08:47 a.m. EST) 500,000 Homes, Businesses Now Without Power
From meteorologist Jennifer Gray:
We now have half a million customers in the dark in the Northeast due to the bomb cyclone, according to PowerOutage.us.
With so many people in the dark during extremely cold temperatures, it’s important to know how to conserve the heat inside your home. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to keep warm while in the dark during freezing temperatures.
(08:36 a.m. EST) School Closings: NYC, Boston And Many More
Winter Storm Hernando has closed dozens of school districts in the Northeast, including some of the nation's largest, like New York City and Boston.
For NYC, it's their first full closing in years. Children will be out all over the city enjoying the snow day rather than being stuck inside for a digital learning day. For those of us who reveled in the glory of snow days before digital learning, we say enjoy it and stay safe, because it's still a blizzard after all.
(08:18 a.m. EST) The Two-Plus-Foot Club Has Been Established
And so far, it's rarified air. Only Freehold Township, New Jersey, has entered the club — they have 24.2 inches on the ground officially from Winter Storm Hernando. That's in Monmouth County, where 9% of all customers have lost power this morning (about 28,000 homes and businesses), according to PowerOutage.us.
(08:12 a.m. EST) How Much More Snow?
From meteorologist Jennifer Gray:
Winter Storm Hernando will pull away from the coast later today, but there is still much more snow to come for cities in the Northeast and New England. Here’s a look at our latest snow forecast:
Keep in mind, this is additional snow on top of what has already fallen. Some areas across eastern Massachusetts could pick up an additional foot or more of snow.
(07:58 a.m. EST) NYC’s Heaviest Since The Pandemic
Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
We mentioned earlier that New York’s Central Park has picked up just over 15 inches of snow, so far.
That’s their heaviest snowstorm in just over five years, since a 17.4-inch snowstorm from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2021.
Assuming they pick up another 2.4 inches of snow this morning, Hernando would be the city's heaviest snowstorm since its all-time record 10 years ago, 27.5 inches, from a winter storm in late January 2016.
(07:37 a.m. EST) Skiing Fifth Avenue
A view of men skiing during a snowstorm after midnight as the city braces for a blizzard on Feb. 23, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)
Patsy Cline had a hit with a song called "Walkin' After Midnight" — but how about skiing after midnight? It happened last night on Manhattan’s iconic Fifth Avenue, close to Central Park, where a photographer captured these two late-night skiers traversing the sidewalks outside a Bergdorf and Goodman Store.
(07:25 a.m. EST) New Snow Totals For Major NYC Landmarks
As of just a few minutes ago, here are the snow totals from some areas in and around the Big Apple that you might recognize:
- Central Park: 15.1 inches
- LaGuardia Airport: 15.1 inches
- JFK International Airport: 15 inches
- Islip: 22.5 inches
- Newark (New Jersey): 18.3 inches
(07:12 a.m. EST) Impressive Snow Rates
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
In major snowstorms, it’s not just how much snow falls, but how fast that happens.
We’re seeing snowfall at the rate of 1 inch per hour at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and 2 inches per hour at JFK International Airport right now.
Providence, Rhode Island, picked up almost 14 inches of snow in just six hours.
The National Weather Service office in Upton, Long Island, reported a snowfall rate of 3 inches per hour earlier this morning. Here’s what that looked like:
(06:58 a.m. EST) Thundersnow!!!
It happened again. Reporting live from Plymouth, Massachusetts, The Weather Channel storm tracker Jim Cantore was in the middle of describing the intense conditions when lightning flashed nearby. To watch Cantore's passionate, excited response, click here.
And if you've never experienced near-blizzard conditions, this video is worth a watch:
(06:50 a.m. EST) Tree Damage In King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania
We're starting to see some ground truth of the damage the winter storm is causing with its heavy, wet snow and strong winds. Check out these pictures of tree damage in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which is located northwest of Philadelphia:
(06:41 a.m. EST) Top Wind Gusts This Morning
From meteorologists Jonathan Erdman and Jennifer Gray:
As Winter Storm Hernando continues up the coast, it’s unleashing dangerous, gusty winds. Here are the top wind speeds thus far:
- Wellfleet, Massachusetts: 79 mph
- N. Kingston, Rhode Island: 73 mph
- Nantucket, Massachusetts: 70 mph
(06:27 a.m. EST) Here Comes The Peak Of The Storm
Winter Storm Hernando is seen nearing peak intensity on the morning of Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (NOAA)
From senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
Having already reached bomb cyclone status, Winter Storm Hernando is nearing its peak intensity. That means the storm is nearing its lowest central pressure off the Northeast seaboard.
While its central pressure is similar to that of a Category 2 hurricane, the storm is cold-core rather than warm-core.
(06:06 a.m. EST) Flight Cancellations Surge Past 10,000
According to FlightAware data, there have been more than 10,000 flights canceled from yesterday through tomorrow in the U.S., virtually all of them in the path of Winter Storm Hernando. That includes more than 5,300 flights today alone.
Another 1,300 flights have already been canceled for tomorrow, so if you have flight plans, it's best to check (frequently) with your airline, especially if you'll be flying into or out of the Northeast.
(05:55 a.m. EST) We’re Dealing With 'Heart-Attack Snow'
From digital meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser:
With temperatures hovering around or just below freezing, this relatively "warmer" air can hold a lot more moisture. This means the snow that is falling is heavier and wetter, which earns its nickname "heart-attack snow" for a reason.
The heavier the snow, the more strain it puts on your cardiovascular system when you’re trying to shovel. So, you'll want to take extra care before heading out.
Read more on heart-attack snow and how to stay safe while shoveling.
(05:17 a.m. EST) It's Officially A Bomb Cyclone
With a drop in central pressure of about 40 millibars in 12 hours, this nor'easter has gone above and beyond to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone. In fact, it achieved the requirement in about nine hours.
To read more about what criteria must be met for a storm to "bomb out," click here.
(05:00 a.m. EST) Scenes From A Snow-Dusted Times Square
People take photos with the snow in Times Square on Feb. 22, 2026, in New York, New York. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images
Even fierce snowstorms can be peaceful sometimes. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Workers shovel snow in the early-morning hours of Feb. 23, 2026, in Times Square. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)
Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images(04:39 a.m. EST) Power Outages Spike To More Than 250,000
As expected with a windy nor'easter that's dumping heavy snow, power outages are rising rapidly. According to PowerOutage.us, these states have the lion's share of the quarter-million homes and businesses currently in the dark amif frigid conditions:
- New Jersey: 103,000 customers
- Delaware: 68,000
- Maryland: 33,000
(04:15 a.m. EST) Top Snow Totals To Start The Morning
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
Winter Storm Hernando really raged overnight. Here are the highest snow totals from this storm, which continues to rapidly escalate, so far:
- Freehold, New Jersey: 17.9 inches
- Mount Holly, New Jersey: 16.2 inches
- South Jersey Regional Airport: 15.3 inches
To see Sunday's live coverage as it played out, read the full recap here.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
