A catastrophic winter storm battered the U.S. East Coast on Monday, shattering all-time snowfall records and plunging over 600,000 properties into darkness. The historic “nor’easter” brought the region to a near-standstill, forcing unprecedented travel bans and the first-ever printing halt of a major American newspaper.
Rhode Island experienced the brunt of the storm, with the capital, Providence, recording a staggering 36 inches (91cm) of snow. This total “completely smashed” the previous state record of 28.6 inches set during the Great Blizzard of 1978. In Massachusetts, parts of the state saw accumulations of nearly 37 inches, while New York City’s Central Park recorded over 19 inches.
🔊 Forecasters expect up to 18 inches of snow to fall on the US East Coast while data shows this year’s winter accumulation falls short of historical expectations. Hear more on the Reuters World News podcast https://t.co/75G8icb74L pic.twitter.com/7vBcHO3UHA
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 22, 2026
Widespread Infrastructure Disruptions
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Power Grid: More than 600,000 homes and businesses lost power, with Massachusetts reporting nearly 300,000 outages alone. Cape Cod was particularly hard hit, with 85% of customers in the dark.
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Aviation Crisis: Over 5,700 flights were cancelled on Monday. New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports saw cancellation rates of 98% and 91%, respectively. Thousands more cancellations are expected through Tuesday.
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Media History: The Boston Globe announced it would not go to print for the first time in its 153-year history, as extreme conditions prevented staff from reaching the printing presses.
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Public Safety and Travel Bans
Governors in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts implemented strict non-essential travel bans as “white-out” conditions reduced visibility to near zero. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey warned that getting stuck on roads would leave residents beyond the reach of emergency help.
In New York City, a total ban on roads, highways, and bridges remained in effect until noon Monday. Police are also investigating incidents of “criminal” behavior in Washington Square Park, where officers were pelted with snowballs during the height of the storm.
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