Blizzard of '26

February 21, 2026 — It was nearing the end of the coldest winter in about a decade. There was no January thaw, no breaks from the relentless cold. Snow was frequent, but in the 2 to 5-inch range for the most part, until this one. Once again, terms like "Bomb Cyclone" and "Bombogenesis" were being bandied about to describe the brutality of the storm. Snow was coming down at a rate of 4 inches per hour at its greatest intensity. Snow depths exceeded three feet in some communities. 

The storm blitzed New York before moving north into New England. Hardest hit were southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape and Rhode Island. Comparisons to the Blizzard of '78 were inevitable. In 2026, Providence, RI's 37.9 inches topped the 27.6 that fell in the city in 1978. 

But overall, '78 is still the champ, hands down. Peak wind in '78 was 111 miles per hour in Scituate, MA as opposed to '26's 83 on Nantucket Island. The '78 storm raged for days, '26 barely over 24 hours. The '78 storm lasted through four tide cycles with major flooding, '26 through one with minor flooding. Tragically, there were 100 storm-related deaths in '78, none reported in '26.

The storm was five days ago and many communities are still digging out. Many are still without power, but crews are doing a fantastic job of getting everyone back online.