Historic blizzard paralyzes U.S. East Coast
United States’ East Coast was battered by a powerful winter storm on Monday, bringing record snowfall, mass power outages and thousands of flight cancellations, according to the National Weather Service, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts recorded nearly 37 inches of snow, while more than 19 inches fell in New York City’s Central Park. Authorities warned of “near impossible” travel conditions in New York as over 600,000 homes and businesses lost power across the region, with New Jersey and Massachusetts among the hardest hit.
Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, received 36 inches, surpassing the previous record of 28.6 inches set in February 1978.
“It completely smashed it,” said Candice Hrencecin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston. “We were just as shocked as everyone else.”
BREAKING NEWS🚨: A massive snowstorm is hitting New York and the northeastern United States. A state of emergency has been declared in the city.pic.twitter.com/YLM6zTKk5F
— All day Astronomy (@forallcurious) February 24, 2026
Travel bans were imposed in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced restrictions on non-essential driving in southeastern parts of the state.
“Whiteout conditions are making travel extremely dangerous,” she said. “If you get stuck, help will have a hard time reaching you.”
Blizzard in New York City: Times Square February 23, 2026 pic.twitter.com/JmV1KX14AC
— Noel Y. Calingasan • NYC (@nyclovesnyc) February 23, 2026
Air travel was severely disrupted. More than 5,700 flights within, into or out of the United States were cancelled, according to FlightAware. Nearly all departures from New York’s LaGuardia Airport were halted, while major hubs in Boston, Newark and Philadelphia reported cancellations exceeding 80%.
Take in the sublime beauty of Central Park after a blizzard. 🤩
— Central Park (@CentralParkNYC) February 23, 2026
So far, we’ve measured over 19 inches of snow here in the Park! A huge shout-out to the Central Park Conservancy team for rising the occasion last night, today, and this entire snowy winter.
Stay warm and safe! pic.twitter.com/DKvSkbFbDY
Forecasters warned snowfall would persist into Tuesday, with some coastal areas expecting up to two feet in total accumulation.
Over 19 inches of snow has been recorded at Central Park as a nor'easter slammed New York City with heavy snow and strong winds. pic.twitter.com/7yZDbjwbhp
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) February 23, 2026
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a powerful winter storm was sweeping across the northeastern United States, placing nearly 59 million people under weather warnings, causing widespread power outages and prompting authorities to impose a full travel ban in New York City.