SLL StoryMap: The Blizzard of ’26

An intense blizzard generated by a coastal cyclone hit the Northeastern United States on Sunday, February 22, 2026 through late Monday, February 23. This historic storm brought record-setting snowfall, damaging winds, and coastal flooding. Snowfall varied greatly throughout Massachusetts with  Boston getting 17.1 inches while New Bedford got over 3 feet . The combination of intense snow accumulation, high winds, and rapid temperature drops created hazardous conditions across the coast of Massachusetts and caused  wide-spread power outages ,  travel bans,  and extensive and lasting impacts to many coastal communities.

As storms like this blizzard become more common due to climate change, real-time monitoring helps us understand and prepare for local impacts. The UMass Boston Stone Living Lab (SLL) conducts transformative research and outreach to make vulnerable coastal regions adaptive to climate change. Part of the Lab’s work is monitoring Boston Harbor with the Real-time Monitoring Network. The data from this network informs the Lab’s research and is shared with local and state partners.

The Stone Living Lab team developed a StoryMap of observations from real-time monitoring in Boston Harbor as well as community impacts from local media coverage, which you can view by clicking the button below.