New York City-area blizzard warning suddenly upgraded, 2 feet of snow possible
Fortune
by The Associated PressFebruary 21, 2026
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A late-winter storm set to hit the New York City area has been upgraded to a blizzard warning, with projections of up to 2 feet of snow in some regions. This marks a significant escalation from earlier forecasts, which predicted a less severe storm. The National Weather Service has warned that the storm will bring hazardous conditions, including heavy snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour and sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, creating dangerous travel conditions and potential power outages.
The blizzard warning spans New York City, Long Island, southern Connecticut, and coastal areas of New Jersey and Delaware. The storm is expected to arrive Sunday morning near Washington, D.C., before moving northward to affect Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston by Monday evening. This system follows the remnants of an earlier snowstorm that left behind icy conditions still being melted away in some parts of the region.
Meteorologist Cody Snell noted that such a large-scale and intense storm is rare for this heavily populated area. The combination of heavy snowfall, flooding risks in low-lying neighborhoods, and strong winds will likely disrupt daily life and business operations across the affected regions. Flooding is also a concern, as melting snow from previous storms could exacerbate water levels.
The timing of the storm poses additional challenges, arriving just weeks after an earlier snowstorm and coinciding with Valentine’s Day weekend.
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Originally published on Fortune on 2/21/2026