‘A dangerous storm’: What to expect from powerful nor’easter
From thundersnow to whiteout conditions, this storm will be a powerful bomb cyclone
THREATENING THE POWER GRID. OKAY, WE’RE BACK NOW WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CINDY FITZGIBBON. THIS REALLY IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF NOT JUST THE SNOW, BUT REALLY THE HIGH WINDS. YEAH, AND IT’S THAT COMBINATION WITH THE SNOW IS COMING DOWN. IT’S SUCH AN INTENSE RATE AND THE WIND IS BLOWING IT AROUND. I MEAN VISIBILITY IS GOING TO BE NEAR WHITEOUT. THAT’S WHY WE’RE TELLING YOU DO NOT GO OUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO. KELLY ANN IS GOING TO BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE COASTAL FLOODING COMING UP. BUT LET ME GO AHEAD AND SHOW YOU WHAT I’M WATCHING HERE. WITH THIS PARTICULAR STORM SYSTEM, THERE ARE THREE MAIN THINGS. OF COURSE. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE SNOW AND THE BLIZZARD WARNING 1 TO 2FT OF SNOW. SO HEAVY SNOW. BUT THIS GO AROUND. IT IS THE WIND THAT IS MAKING SUCH A DIFFERENCE WITH GUSTS 55 TO OVER 70MPH, POWER OUTAGES ARE A BIG CONCERN WITH THIS ONE. SO IF YOU’RE UP RIGHT NOW, YOU’RE WATCHING. MAKE SURE YOU’RE KIND OF CHECKING YOUR BATTERIES. HAVE THINGS AT THE READY TO GO IN CASE YOU LOSE POWER, BECAUSE THAT IS A REAL POSSIBILITY LATER ON TODAY, AS THE STORM REALLY RAMPS UP AND COASTAL FLOODING, WE JUST MADE IT THROUGH ONE HIGH TIDE AT 3 A.M. WE’RE WATCHING THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AT 3:00 FOR SOME MINOR COASTAL FLOODING. AGAIN, KELLY ANN GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. SO HERE ARE BLIZZARD WARNINGS. I MEAN, THESE GO ALL THE WAY UP INTO MAINE, DOWN TO MARYLAND. SO THIS IS A HUGE STORM. AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING. THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE HERE SITTING TO OUR SOUTH. IT’S JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO THROW IN THESE BANDS OF INTENSE SNOW SO INTENSE THAT YEAH, THOSE ARE LIGHTNING STRIKES SHOWING UP HERE IN THE WATERS TO THE SOUTH. WE’VE HAD SEVERAL OF THEM SINCE ABOUT TWO SOMETHING THIS MORNING. AND YOU CAN SEE ONE HERE STILL SHOWING UP. AND AS THESE BANDS CONTINUE TO PIVOT ONSHORE, THE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING IN ON SOME THUNDERSTORMS, SNOW HERE IN SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS IS PRETTY GREAT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE RADAR, YOU CAN MAKE OUT THESE DARKER BLUES. I MEAN, REALLY INTENSE SNOW RIGHT NOW SOUTH OF THE PIKE. BUT THOSE BANDS ARE CONTINUING TO PINWHEEL TO THE NORTH. SO WE ARE IN THE TEETH OF THIS RIGHT NOW, AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THE MOST INTENSE SNOW THROUGH ABOUT 11:00 THIS MORNING. SO HERE’S WHAT I’M THINKING FOR TOTALS. IT’S AGAIN A WIDESPREAD FOOT TO TWO FEET OF SNOW WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS HERE FROM BOSTON INTO SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ALL BACK THROUGH RHODE ISLAND, HERE, GETTING ON TOWARD CAPE COD AS WELL. BUT IN THIS LITTLE AREA RIGHT IN HERE THROUGH PARTS OF INTERIOR BRISTOL AND PLYMOUTH COUNTIES, THINK WEST BRIDGEWATER, THINK REHOBOTH, THINK SOMERSET. THIS AREA HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THESE LOCALIZED SPOTS TO PICK UP CLOSER TO 30IN OF SNOW. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF SNOW FALLING OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY. LET ME STEP YOU THROUGH IT HOUR BY HOUR HERE THROUGH 11:00 THIS MORNING. AS MENTIONED WE’RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THOSE HEAVY BANDS. SO HERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THE HEAVIEST DARKER BLUES HERE IN SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS. BUT LOOK, 5 A.M. THERE’S ANOTHER ONE COMING UP. WE GO TO 8 A.M. YOU CAN SEE THIS WHOLE AREA GOING TO BE INTENSE SNOWFALL HERE. AND THAT CONTINUES THROUGH ABOUT 11:00 THIS MORNING. THERE WILL BE SOME SPOTS WHERE THE SNOW LETS UP FOR A TIME, BUT WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE SNOW GOING THROUGH MID-AFTERNOON 3:00 THIS AFTERNOON. THE INTENSITY IS NOT AS GREAT. AND THEN FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 6 P.M. AND 9 P.M. FINALLY, WE’RE GOING TO START TO SEE THIS TAPER DOWN. SO THIS GOES ALL DAY LONG. IN TERMS OF THE SNOW, I THINK THE WORST OF IT WITH THE HIGHEST RATES IS THROUGH 11 A.M., 2 TO 4 INCH PER HOUR. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION ALONG WITH SOME OF THAT THUNDER, SNOW, THE WIND THOUGH THAT IS GOING TO PEAK MIDDAY. SO WE’RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE WINDS COME UP. NOW LOOK, BY 8:00 THIS MORNING WE’RE GUSTING 60 TO 70MPH. BOSTON OUT TOWARD THE CAPE, AND THOSE WINDS PERSIST THROUGH MIDDAY. THIS RIGHT HERE IS NOONTIME. ONCE WE GET TOWARD MID AFTERNOON, THE WINDS START BACKING OFF THROUGH ABOUT 6:00 THIS EVENING. BUT IT REALLY IS NOT UNTIL TONIGHT THAT THE WINDS COMPLETELY COME DOWN. SO THAT’S THE SNOW. THAT’S THE WIND. LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT THE COASTAL FLOODING NOW WITH KELLY ANN. WE DID JUST GET PAST A HIGH TIDE. WE’RE SEEING OUR WAVE HEIGHTS STARTING TO BUILD HERE. SO SOME EVIDENCE OF THIS STORM THAT IS STRENGTHENING AND APPROACHING OUR AREA. BUT WHAT I WANT TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THE FACT THAT WE’RE APPROACHING ANOTHER HIGH TIDE THIS AFTERNOON. AND WHILE ASTRONOMICALLY, IT’S NOT QUITE AS HIGH AS WHAT WE JUST PASSED THIS MORNING, IT IS STILL HIGH ENOUGH THAT WHEN YOU THROW IN THE FACT WE HAVE THIS VERY STRONG NORTHEAST WIND BECOMING MORE NORTHERLY BY THIS AFTERNOON, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY SEE THE LIKELIHOOD FOR ADDITIONAL SURGE, 1 TO 3 FOOT SURGE POSSIBLE. THAT MEANS WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME COASTAL FLOODING. BY THAT POINT, WE’LL BE UNDER A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH. THE COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS SET TO EXPIRE AT 7 A.M. AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THAT NEXT HIGH TIDE, WE ARE LOOKING AT STRONGER WAVES. SO LOOK AT THIS TEN TO EVEN 20 FOOT WAVES POSSIBLE OFFSHORE.
‘A dangerous storm’: What to expect from powerful nor’easter
From thundersnow to whiteout conditions, this storm will be a powerful bomb cyclone
Updated: 5:43 AM EST Feb 23, 2026
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
Whiteout conditions, power outages and flooding are all among the potential impacts that will make this storm dangerous throughout Massachusetts. Watch LIVE StormTeam 5 coverage of the nor’easter in the player at the top of this page.
The peak of the storm hit early Monday morning, and is expected to last through about midday. It may bring blizzard conditions to the region for the first time since 2022.
Snowfall rates could reach 2 to 4 inches per hour, creating rapidly deteriorating travel conditions. While snow totals taper off to 8 to 12 inches farther north and west, including parts of southwest New Hampshire, she said eastern and southeastern Massachusetts will be hit the hardest.
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Thundersnow, Rates of snow 2-4 per hour
A powerful nor’easter is bringing dangerous winds and heavy bands of snow across Massachusetts.
Coastal flood warning in effect
Wave heights are approaching 16 ft. Monday morning.
When the snow will move out