February 24, 2026

The Blizzard of 2026 dropped all-time record snowfall totals


The snowstorm that just buried parts of the northeastern United States will go down as a historic blizzard for the region, rivaling legendary storms like the blizzards of 1978, 2013, and 2016. 

Dynamics were perfect for a classic nor'easter to develop just offshore. The system's rapid intensification drove powerful winds that created blizzard conditions at times. Intense bands of snow were fueled by ample moisture, plenty of cold air, and the intensifying storm itself. 

The heaviest accumulations occurred where those relentless bands of snow remained stationary for hours at a time. 


Providence, Rhode Island, 'won' the storm with a whopping 37.2 inches of snow. This swept away the city's previous all-time total of 28.6 inches set during the infamous blizzard of 1978. Records in Providence stretch back to 1904.

Islip, New York, picked up 29.1 inches of snow, setting their all-time snowstorm with records that date back to the 1940s. 

Newark's Liberty International Airport reported 27.2 inches of snow by the end of the storm, coming in the number-two spot since records began there in 1931. This system fell just six-tenths of an inch shy of tying the all-time record held by the blizzard of January 1996.


Here's a look at seasonal snowfall totals across the lower 48 so far this season. This is the first winter in a long while where snow lovers haven't had much to complain about. Measurable snow has fallen in all 50 states.

Boston has picked up 60.4 inches of snow so far this season, which is well above the 36.8 inches they'd typically see through Feb. 24. New York City's Central Park has measured 42.0 inches, running well ahead of their average-to-date of 23.1 inches.


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I graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2014 with a degree in political science and a minor in meteorology. I contribute to The Weather Network as a digital writer, and I've written for Forbes, the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, Popular Science, Mental Floss, and Gawker's The Vane. My latest book, The Skies Above, is now available. My first book, The Extreme Weather Survival Manual, arrived in October 2015.

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