Massachusetts Blizzard of 2026: Travel Ban Lifted, Power Outages, Snow Totals & School Closings
The historic Blizzard of 2026 has paralyzed southeastern Massachusetts, broken snowfall records in Rhode Island, and left over a quarter million residents without power. Here is the complete, real-time update as of Tuesday, February 24, 2026 ET.
Massachusetts Travel Ban — LIFTED at Noon ET Tuesday
Gov. Maura Healey lifted the non-essential travel ban for Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, and Dukes counties at noon on Tuesday, February 24.
While lifting the ban, Healey urged residents to continue using caution and stay home if possible to allow crews to continue cleanup. A number of communities — including New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, and others — still have local travel restrictions and parking bans in place.
The state of emergency remains in effect for all counties except Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin in western Massachusetts.
Violating the travel ban while it was in effect carried a $500 fine.
Massachusetts Snow Totals — Blizzard of 2026
Fall River led all Massachusetts communities with 41 inches of snow. Providence, Rhode Island set an all-time record with 37.9 inches, surpassing the Blizzard of 1978's previous record of 28.6 inches. Boston recorded 17.1 inches at Logan Airport, pushing the city over 60 inches for the season — the first above-average snowfall season in four years.
| Town | Snow Total |
|---|---|
| Fall River | 41 inches |
| New Bedford | 37 inches |
| Providence, RI | 37.9 inches (all-time record) |
| Dartmouth | 37 inches |
| Westport | 36 inches |
| Kingston / Somerset / Lakeville | 36 inches |
| Whitman | 33.7 inches |
| North Attleboro / Attleboro | 32 inches |
| Brockton / Bridgewater | 31 inches |
| Wareham | 30.1 inches |
| Milton | 24.1 inches |
| Boston (Logan Airport) | 17.1 inches |
| Worcester | 17 inches |
In the jackpot zone in Plymouth and Bristol counties, snowfall rates reached as high as 4–5 inches per hour at times.
Power Outages — Eversource & National Grid
Eversource had more than 230,000 outages in eastern Massachusetts as of early Tuesday morning. National Grid had more than 23,000 outages. Combined, more than 250,000 customers remain in the dark statewide.
In Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Brewster, and Eastham, 100 percent of customers did not have power Tuesday morning. In Orleans, Chatham, and Falmouth, more than 90 percent of customers were without power.
Eversource warned customers in hard-hit communities to allow anywhere from 72 to 120 hours — 3 to 5 days — for restoration in the most difficult-to-reach areas.
To report or track outages:
- Eversource: eversource.com or 1-800-286-2000
- National Grid: nationalgridus.com or 1-800-465-1212
- Rhode Island Energy: rienergy.com
- MEMA Outage Map: mass.gov (statewide multi-utility view)
School Closings Massachusetts — Tuesday, February 24
Boston Public Schools are closed Tuesday. Mayor Michelle Wu cited 15 inches of snowfall in 24 hours, ongoing conditions, and the need for crews to sufficiently clear sidewalks and widen main roadways for the 700-bus fleet.
Boston, Worcester, Cambridge, and dozens of surrounding communities are closed, effectively extending February break to 11 days for many Massachusetts students.
For a full, live-updated list of school closings, check WCVB, NBC Boston, or CBS Boston school closing pages directly.
Massachusetts State of Emergency
Gov. Healey declared the storm among the most intense the state has faced in years. Wind gusts reached 70 to 80 miles per hour on the Outer Cape and up to 60 miles per hour across eastern Massachusetts. State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver called it the most difficult storm he has managed in at least 15 years.
A clipper system may bring additional precipitation late Tuesday night into Wednesday, and another system could arrive late Thursday into Friday. Cleanup and power restoration are expected to be multi-day efforts. Call 211 to locate a warming center near you.
