A blizzard pummeled the Northeast on Monday, at one point leaving more than 40 million people under warnings as heavy snowfall and hurricane-force winds bore down throughout the region.
As much as 3 feet of snow has been reported by the National Weather Service in parts of New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York’s Long Island — and the snow is expected to continue to fall into the evening.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that it could rank among New York City’s top 10 worst storms in 150 years.
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New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Connecticut all declared states of emergency, imposing travel restrictions. Meanwhile, 20 counties in New York were also under emergency declarations.
The heavy snow and high winds from the winter storm caused large-scale school closures, thousands of flight cancellations nationwide and widespread power outages in the Northeast, with at least 500,000 customers without power as of early Monday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.
Our live coverage has ended.
Live23 updates
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 10:31 a.m. EST
Kate Murphy
The National Weather Service in New York City posted a video on X on Monday of just how massive the winter storm is as it wallops the Northeast with heavy snow and high winds. The video was taken by the GOES East satellite.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
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People walk through snow and slush in Times Square after a day of heavy snowfall on Feb. 23 in New York City.
(Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)
People enjoy an afternoon in Prospect Park after a blizzard brought nearly 2 feet of snow to the area on Feb. 23 in Brooklyn.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Philadelphians play in the snow in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as wintry conditions and heavy snow continued on Feb. 23.
(Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
A traveler checks departure times as many flights are canceled at Philadelphia International Airport on Feb. 23.
(Joe Lamberti/AP)
People walk past a fallen tree on a car on 17th Street on Feb. 23 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn.
(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
High waves pound houses on the shoreline in Scituate, Mass., on Feb. 23.
(Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images)
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 6:46 p.m. EST
Mike Bebernes
The city’s Sanitation Department announced that the city government’s storm designation officially ended at 4:30 p.m. local time on Monday. While the change doesn’t mean that hazardous conditions have gone away, it does indicate that local residents are now obligated to clear snow from their sidewalks.
“Property owners, that means you must shovel your sidewalk by 8:30pm, including a four-foot path for wheelchairs and strollers, as well as around any curb ramps, fire hydrants, and unsheltered bus stops that may be in front of your property,” the department wrote on social media.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 6:19 p.m. EST
Mike Bebernes
As of Monday afternoon, 32.8 inches of snow had been recorded at T. F. Green International Airport outside of Providence, enough to surpass the previous record greatest single snowstorm ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service. A total of 28.6 inches of snow fell between Feb. 6 and 7 during a catastrophic blizzard in 1978 that led to 100 fatalities.
Monday’s record snowfall count is likely to get even higher as further measurements are recorded later in the day.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 5:39 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a post on X Monday that the state of emergency and travel ban remain in effect so that plow crews can continue clearing roads overnight. The situation will be reassessed on Tuesday morning.
State offices will remain closed on Tuesday due to the blizzard, the post added.
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Mon, February 23, 2026 at 5:14 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
All Boston Public Schools will remain closed on Tuesday, Feb. 24, “due to the ongoing snow emergency,” the city said in a Monday afternoon post on X.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 5:10 p.m. EST
Mike Bebernes
More than 6,000 flights have been canceled across the country on Monday as heavy snow effectively brought air travel in the Northeast to a standstill. All three of the international airports in the New York City area have had at least 90% of their outgoing flights canceled, including 98% of flights out of LaGuardia, according to FlightAware.
Boston’s Logan International Airport has seen 92% of its flights grounded and 87% of the flights out of T. F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island have been canceled.
Travel disruptions are expected to continue into Tuesday despite improving conditions. Roughly half of the flights out of New York’s three airports have already been canceled.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 4:44 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Rhode Island is bearing the brunt of the blizzard’s highest snowfall totals. Over 3 feet of snow, 36.2 inches to be exact, has fallen in Warwick, R.I., according to the National Weather Service.
North Kingstown follows close behind with 35 inches, and then Providence with 34 inches.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 4:29 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued a nonessential travel ban for Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties in southeastern Massachusetts. The speed limit has also been reduced to 40 mph on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
“Whiteout conditions are making travel extremely dangerous,” Healey said in a Monday post on X. “If you get stuck, help will have a hard time reaching you.”
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Mon, February 23, 2026 at 3:23 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
First and foremost, staying home and off the roads is the safest option during a blizzard, the National Weather Service advised in a post on X.
But if you absolutely must travel, prepare ahead of time by checking road conditions, telling someone your planned route, having a full tank or a full charge and taking an emergency kit.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 3:17 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
A family walks alongside Prospect Park with slides amid heavy snow on Feb. 23 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
(Jeremy Weine/Getty Images)
Mass transit in metropolitan areas has either been suspended or delayed. Here’s what to know:
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: Reduced service and snow routing.
New Jersey Transit: Train, bus, light rail and Access Link service is suspended until further notice.
New York City and surrounding areas:
Access-A-Ride Paratransit: Operating very limited trips for essential services only.
Bus: Longer waits for local buses.
Long Island Railroad: All service is suspended.
Metro North Railroad: Reduced service and delays on various train lines.
NYC subway: Service disruptions, including line suspensions, rerouting and delays.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 3:16 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
National Weather Service.
Over the course of this winter season, you may have heard different weather terms to describe an upcoming storm, like “blizzard,” “nor’easter” and “bomb cyclone.” Here’s what they actually mean:
Blizzards, according to the National Weather Service:
contain large amounts of snow or blowing snow
have winds exceeding 35 mph
have visibility of less than 1/4 mile for at least 3 hours
A bomb cyclone is a powerful low-pressure system that intensifies rapidly. It’s a process that meteorologists call bombogenesis.
The “bomb” part happens when pressure inside a storm cell falls so quickly that it gives the storm explosive strength. The scientific term “bombogenesis” refers to a storm that drops at least 24 millibars of pressure within 24 hours. So the lower the pressure drops within a cyclone, the more intense the storm.
A nor’easter is a large, intense area of low pressure that can produce heavy rain, heavy snow, severe coastal flooding or even blizzard conditions in the east. They typically form along the Atlantic coast and move northward or northeastward, according to the NWS.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 2:20 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Storm chaser Jaden Pappenheim captured video of extreme blizzard conditions in Plymouth, Mass., early Monday morning. Wind gusts were up to 65 mph, he wrote. Meanwhile, the city currently has 20 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
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Mon, February 23, 2026 at 1:54 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
(@NYCMayor via X)
Parts of New York City have seen more than a foot of snow — between 16 and 19 inches — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a Monday news conference. And more snow is on the way, with 1.5 to 2.5 more inches expected until at least 8 p.m. ET, with 40 mph winds.
While the city’s travel ban was lifted at noon today, a “hazardous travel advisory” is in effect through midnight, Mamdani said, urging New Yorkers to stay home.
“These are dangerous conditions,” he said. “If you must leave your home, please rely on public transit.”
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 1:53 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Kids sled down a street in lower Manhattan during a snowstorm on Feb. 23, in New York.
(Seth Wenig/AP)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday that all New York City public schools will resume in-person learning on Tuesday.
“You can still pelt me with snowballs when you see me,” Mamdani joked at a Monday news conference.
All New York City public schools had a traditional snow day, without virtual learning, on Monday — the first snow day since 2019.
New York state law requires New York City to provide 180 days of classroom instruction, so there isn’t much wiggle room for snow days.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 1:18 p.m. EST
Yahoo News Photo Staff
Photos show Bostonians braving the heavy, blowing snow on Monday, as a blizzard hits the Northeast. A blizzard warning remains in effect for portions of eastern and southeastern Massachusetts through Tuesday morning, with wind gusts reaching up to 75 mph.
Lauren Bonnet wades through the deep snow as she tries to get her jacket from her car in New Bedford, Mass., on Monday.
(Peter Pereira/USA Today Network via Reuters)
Whiteout conditions in Post Office Square on Feb. 23 in Boston.
(Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
A person carries a drink during heavy snow in Boston on Monday.
(Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
People walk through whiteout conditions in Boston on Monday.
(Scott Eisen/Getty Images)Mon, February 23, 2026 at 1:05 p.m. EST
Kate Murphy
A snowplow crosses the Brooklyn Bridge during a winter storm in New York City on Feb. 23.
(Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Several states in the Northeast are under emergency declarations and have issued or extended certain travel restrictions. Here are the major ones:
Connecticut: Commercial vehicles are banned from traveling on all limited-access highways until further notice, Gov. Ned Lamont said in a post on X. Residents are strongly advised to avoid all nonessential travel.
Delaware: Kent and Sussex Counties are under a level 3 driving ban until further notice. No one is allowed on state roadways unless they’re a first responder, first informer or essential personnel, including public utilities, state police said. New Castle County was downgraded to a level 1 driving warning, which discourages drivers from nonessential travel.
New Jersey: The statewide travel ban was lifted at noon ET. However, the city of Hoboken extended its travel ban until 4 p.m. ET today, it announced on X.
New York: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X that the city’s travel ban was lifted at noon but urged drivers to use caution and travel slowly. Westchester County, north of the city, is extending its travel ban until 6 p.m. ET on Monday.
Rhode Island: All vehicles, except for emergency vehicles, are banned from traveling until further notice.
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Mon, February 23, 2026 at 11:46 a.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Canceled flights are displayed on the arrivals board at Philadelphia International Airport on Feb. 23 in Philadelphia.
(Tassanee Vejpongsa/AP)
At least 5,600 flights traveling within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled on Monday, according to FlightAware.com. The majority of those cancellations are affecting major New York City-area airports, including John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International. Other major airports along the East Coast, like Boston Logan International and Reagan National in Washington, D.C., were among the hardest hit by cancellations.
Mon, February 23, 2026 at 11:37 a.m. EST
Yahoo News Photo Staff
Some residents in Hoboken, N.J., ventured out amid the massive winter storm slamming the Northeast on Monday. The city, just a few miles outside of New York City, has received 18.5 inches of snow so far.
People walk on a local street covered with snow during a winter storm in Hoboken, N.J., on Feb 23.
(Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
People walk to get the ferry during a winter storm in Hoboken, N.J., on Feb 23.
(Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
People walk on a local street covered with snow during a winter storm in Hoboken, N.J., on Feb. 23.
(Eduardo Munoz /Reuters)
A U.S. flag waves during a winter storm in West New York, N.J., on Feb 23.
(Eduardo Munoz /Reuters)Mon, February 23, 2026 at 11:26 a.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Residents in New York City are trying to keep up with shoveling as the blizzard brings more than a foot of snow to parts of the city. Meanwhile, others have been enjoying the scenic winter wonderland created by the storm.
The streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., as blizzard conditions continue on Feb. 23.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Central Park in New York City on Feb. 23 .
(Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 23.
(Jeremy Weine/Getty Images)
A lone shoveler confronts heavy snow on Feb. 23 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
(Jeremy Weine/Getty Images)Mon, February 23, 2026 at 11:24 a.m. EST
Kate Murphy
Yahoo Weather via radar data from AccuWeather
A historic winter storm is hitting the Northeast with heavy snow and hurricane-force winds, which could bring 2 feet of snow in some areas.
New York City and the surrounding areas, like Long Island and New Jersey, are being hit especially hard. Remsenburg-Speonk on New York’s Long Island currently has the highest snow total with 27.5 inches, and Moonachie, N.J., has 24.3 inches.
It’s the first time since 2017 that a blizzard warning was issued for New York City, and the first for Philadelphia since 2016. Click here to see maps from CBS News that show the latest snow totals, forecast and blizzard warnings.