Power of the Response: Travel Bans Lifted as New England Cleans Up From Record-Breaking Blizzard
Travel bans were lifted in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as crews and communities dug out Tuesday following a historic nor'easter — the Blizzard of ’26 — that shut down streets, schools and businesses and left parts of southern New England buried under mountains of snow. The power of coordinated municipal response and mutual aid shaped the first phase of the recovery.
Power and Travel: Bans Lifted in Mass., R. I.
Statewide travel restrictions were eased Tuesday in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, clearing the way for snow-removal operations and resident movement after emergency measures. Residents in Greater Boston and beyond continued digging out just weeks after a prior major storm had already left city streets, bus stops and sidewalks heaped with snow.
Storm scale: how much snow fell in the nor'easter
The nor'easter that barreled through New England on Monday shut down daily life across the region, dumping more than two feet — and in some locations three feet or more — of snow. The Blizzard of ’26 produced more than three feet of snow in many portions of Rhode Island and well over 30 inches in parts of Massachusetts. T. F. Green Airport in Warwick recorded more than three feet of snow. A compilation of top snowfall totals and previous records was prepared to illustrate the storm's reach.
Supply scramble: groceries, shovels — and cannabis
In advance of the storm, shoppers rushed stores for groceries, flashlights and shovels — and, for some, cannabis. Several dispensaries reported surging sales ahead of Monday's storm, echoing consumer behavior seen in January. State data showed that on each of the two days prior to January's snowstorm, pot sales across Massachusetts eclipsed sales from last year's 4/20 holiday by more than $2 million.
Easthampton’s The Verb is Herb was packed all weekend. Karen Croisetiere, 63, who checks customers' IDs at the door there, noted customers were determined to stock up, with some crossing from Connecticut as late as 8 p. m. on Sunday night. That flurry of business occurred hours after Governor Maura Healey issued a statewide state of emergency and restricted non-essential vehicle travel in some counties.
Mutual aid ramps up: heavy equipment and personnel en route
Rhode Island secured commitments from neighboring states for relief. Vermont and Connecticut agreed to send front-end loaders, dump trucks, plows and operators to help Rhode Island dig out as soon as Wednesday, a spokesperson for Governor Dan McKee said. McKee also requested assistance from other New England states and discussions were underway. Earlier in the day, Mayor Brett Smiley reached out to the mayors of Boston, Hartford, Bridgeport, and other cities that were less hard-hit than Providence to request additional plows.
Religious life disrupted and restarting
The Islamic Society of Boston, identified as the largest mosque in New England, had been closed since Sunday night due to the storm, bringing its Ramadan programming to a halt. The mosque reopened on Tuesday beginning with early afternoon prayers, Imam Abdulqadir Farah said. The mosque has locations in Roxbury and Cambridge; the Cambridge location will resume offering iftar on Tuesday. Farah noted the Cambridge location offers iftar every day during Ramadan while the Roxbury location provides the meal on weekends. Hundreds of people attend both locations for taraweeh prayers, and the inability to break fast together on Monday removed an element of shared community joy.
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What to watch next
Cleanup and equipment deployments are the immediate priorities as travel bans lift and municipalities assess damage and backlog. Neighborhoods, transportation hubs and community institutions are navigating aftereffects while mutual-aid agreements bring additional resources. Residents should expect recovery operations to continue and for local officials to update restrictions and services as conditions evolve.
