A historic bomb cyclone (officially, Winter Storm Hernando) dumped more than 13 inches of snow across parts of New York City (NYC) before dawn on Monday, February 23. Moreover, forecasters have warned that the worst may not be over.
According to the National Weather Service, Staten Island received 13 inches overnight, Mott Haven in the Bronx received a foot and neighborhoods from Flatbush to Washington Heights received more than 11 inches of snow.
Meteorologists said parts of the tri-state area could see 17 to 24 inches of snow before the storm exits.
At times, snowflakes came at a rate of two to three inches per hour from New York to Massachusetts. The weather service said travel was “nearly impossible,” as heavy snowfall and wind up to 60 miles per hour (mph) can create blizzard conditions and low visibility.
Outages coming in quickly with this intense snow/wind blitz pic.twitter.com/d4JwLDXXf0
— Pete Bouchard (@PeteNBCBoston) February 23, 2026
On the night of Sunday, February 22, phones across NYC received an emergency alert that all non-essential vehicles were restricted from city roads beginning at 9 p.m. The ban was then extended to noon on Monday, February 23.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared it the “first old-school snow day since 2019,” and shut public schools. Manhattan’s streets were empty other than several snowplows spotting 42nd Street and sanitation crews battling drifts.
New Jersey Transit suspended service and the Long Island Rail Road shut down. Metro-North was running but on a holiday schedule, and the subway experienced delays and cancellations. As for airports, more than 5,500 flights were canceled nationwide on Monday, and another 9,000 were delayed.
The heaviest disruptions, according to FlightAware, are at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
To add to all this, more than 350,000 customers across the Northeast were without power on the morning of Monday, February 23. New Jersey alone had over 100,000 outages, with Ocean and Monmouth counties being hit the worst. Delaware, Maryland and Virginia also had tens of thousands in the dark.
The Blizzard of ’26. We are getting smacked. #winterstorm #nj pic.twitter.com/xg8jLqyT3G
— Tom Thompson🛸 (ＣＯＲＴＥＸ ＺＥＲＯ) (@Cortex_Zero) February 23, 2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared an emergency in the five boroughs, Long Island and several counties. Governor Mikie Sherrill did the same for New Jersey and issued a mandatory travel restriction while urging residents to stay indoors.
Meteorologists say Hernando’s snow is wetter and heavier than the January storm that blanketed the city weeks ago. That means even shoveling can be dangerous. Experts said people should take breaks and get help if needed, because the risk of heart strain and back injuries is higher in such weather conditions.
The iconic Times Square and Grand Central Terminal were experiencing near-whiteout conditions, and pedestrians walked through wind-driven snow.
On the other hand, totals could reach 18 to 24 inches in the Jersey Shore and parts of Long Island. Freehold, New Jersey, clocked 19 inches, being in the eye of the storm.
NYC has hired extra staff to shovel sidewalks and clear critical areas after the last major storm. Parks workers were clearing near City Hall before sunrise, and sanitation crews worked throughout the night. Blizzard warnings remain in effect until 6 p.m.
