A powerful winter storm swept across the northeastern United States on Monday morning, delivering a significant blanket of snow and fierce winds. This weather event led to widespread travel restrictions and blizzard warnings, keeping many residents confined at home.
From Washington, D.C. to Maine, millions were advised to brace for snowfall that could reach up to two feet in certain areas. As predicted, the snow descended heavily across the region.
According to the Associated Press, snow accumulated at a rapid pace of two to three inches per hour from New York to Massachusetts overnight. By Monday, some regions had already received over a foot of snow, accompanied by wind gusts surpassing 30 mph, which severely reduced visibility.
The National Weather Service described travel conditions as “nearly impossible,” urging residents to stay indoors until conditions improve. Meanwhile, in New York City, residents were seen digging their way out of the snow, provided they had the necessary permissions required by local authorities.
The Associated Press highlighted the extensive impact of the storm, noting that blizzard warnings were issued from Maryland to Maine. In New York City, mobile phones blared with alerts on Sunday night, announcing a ban on non-essential travel on all streets until noon on Monday due to “dangerous blizzard conditions.”
The AP report detailed just some of the snowfalls bringing the northeast to a halt:
In New York, Long Island MacArthur Airport reported 22.5 inches of snow as of Monday morning.
Parts of New York City had accumulations in the mid- to high teens, with Coney Island getting 16 inches.
Freehold, New Jersey, had 22 inches. New London, Connecticut, and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, both got 17 inches of snow.
Elsewhere blizzard warnings stretched from Maryland to Maine while cellphones across New York City received wailing push alerts Sunday night announcing a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets through noon Monday because of “dangerous blizzard conditions,” the AP report notes.
Rhode Island and New Jersey implemented similar restrictions.
A view of Union City, NJ, shows just how deep the snow has fallen in the past 24-hours. (Frances Martel/ -)
A person rides a bike along Manhattan’s Times Square during a snowfall in New York City, on February 22, 2026. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty)
More than 5,000 flights in and out of the United States were canceled for Monday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
Most were canceled in New York, New Jersey and Boston.
Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. Just after 01:39 am local time (0639 GMT) on Monday, nearly 80,000 customers were without power in the state of New Jersey, according to tracking website poweroutage.us.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
More to come…
