A blizzard that meteorologists say could be a “bomb cyclone” has plunged much of the Northeast. It has knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers and canceled over 7,000 flights as of early Tuesday.
Snowfall began across New York City and New Jersey Sunday evening as the system pushed north. By Monday, more than 42,000 customers in New Jersey didn’t have electricity, along with 27,000 in Virginia, 28,000 in Maryland, and 40,000 in Delaware, according to PowerOutage.us. Officials warned that extended outages are likely with the heavy snow and winds.
The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings from Maryland to Maine, with 1 to 2 feet of snow possible. In some locations, snowfall rates were expected to be around 2 inches per hour during the night.
Boston meteorologist Bryce Williams said the winds combined with heavy, wet snow can drag down power lines.
Blizzard is in full flow.
NYC travel ban is in affect. Never seen 1st avenue this empty. Not even in 2020. pic.twitter.com/bJUD64r6wL
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) February 23, 2026
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared an emergency and banned non-emergency travel from 9 p.m. Sunday to Monday noon. Residents received push alerts on their phones about “dangerous blizzard conditions.” Public schools were closed as Mamdani called it the city’s first “old-school snow day” since 2019. He also asked kids in the city to stay cozy.
Long Island had nearly a foot of snow by early Monday, as 5 to 7 inches were reported across New York City before midnight. The forecast for the early morning hours was that visibility could drop to near zero. Boston, coastal communities in Delaware and Maryland, and parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts also received blizzard warnings. Officials urged residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. Even DoorDash wasn’t delivering overnight.
As of 6 a.m. ET, 6,456 U.S. flights were canceled due to the storm. Another 547 flights got delayed, so the total disruptions went past 7,000, according to FlightAware data cited by FOX Weather.
Major hubs in the blizzard’s path were John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport. Across the U.S., more than 3,500 flights were scrapped on Sunday, and thousands more were delayed before the cancellations.
SHORE OBSERVATIONS
According to the observations from the Atlantic City Airport we did not meet the official definition of a blizzard based on visibility not reaching 1/4 mile for 3 hours, but we were very close. pic.twitter.com/4RCmMZ5IdP
— Adam Joseph (@6abcadamjoseph) February 23, 2026
Meteorologist Frank Pereira said the blizzard could be a bomb cyclone. This term is used when atmospheric pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. He said models indicated it could meet that threshold as it charged toward the north.
The weather service has warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of Boston–Providence. Meanwhile, in Long Island, snow management crews are bracing for what will likely be days of nonstop clearing.
