February 2026 North American blizzard

Summary

From February 22–24, 2026, a powerful, historic and deadly blizzard, unofficially named Winter Storm Hernando by The Weather Channel and various media, or more commonly the Blizzard of 2026, caused extensive impacts across the Northeastern United States. The storm dropped 1–2 feet of snow across a large swath of the megalopolis from Philadelphia to Boston, with up to 3 feet in southeastern New England, while also bringing blizzard conditions, strong gusty winds, and coastal flooding to the shorelines of the region. Originating out of a shortwave trough that moved ashore on the West Coast of the United States on February 20, the system swiftly moved eastwards across the country before beginning to consolidate late the following day. A new surface low developed off the southeastern United States early on February 22 and began moving north, before rapidly strengthening overnight, bringing blizzard conditions and very heavy snowfall to the Northeast corridor on February 23, moving into Atlantic Canada by later that day. The blizzard gradually weakened after exiting Canada, dissipating on February 25.