A historic snowstorm struck the U.S. East Coast, with record-high snowfall in several states, leading to cancellation of over 5,600 flights and power outages in more than 600,000 homes. Many areas have imposed bans on non-essential travel.
On 23 Feb 2026, a severe snowstorm swept across the U.S. East Coast, causing chaos in multiple states, especially Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where nearly 33 inches of snow accumulated. The U.S. National Weather Service reported over 19 inches of snow in New York City, making travel impossible. Meanwhile, over 600,000 homes and businesses on the East Coast experienced power outages, with New Jersey and Massachusetts among the hardest hit states.
Meteorologists said the snowfall amount shattered records and shocked even experts. Several states, including Rhode Island and Connecticut, declared bans on non-essential travel. The governor of Massachusetts ordered reduced speed limits on major highways and urged residents to stay home due to zero visibility conditions making roads unsafe.
Meanwhile, flight tracking site FlightAware reported more than 5,675 domestic flights into and out of the U.S. were canceled. Authorities in multiple cities towed hundreds of vehicles from snowplow routes, with Providence seeing over 300 towed cars. Officials warned that snow would continue and some areas could see even higher accumulations by Tuesday morning.
Source: BBC