Winter storm slams Philadelphia region with heavy snowfall

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Last updated: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 4:46AM GMT
RECAP: Philly region cleaning up from historic storm

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A major winter storm brought more than a foot of snow to Philadelphia and many other communities in the region, just as the snow from the last storm finally started to melt.

Snow totals even topped 20 inches in spots as a nor'easter struck the region Sunday and lingered well into Monday.

The storm will go down in the record books from Philadelphia north to Boston.

In Philadelphia, we officially received 14 inches of snow, placing this storm as our 17th largest on record.

A jackpot of 18-24" of snow was found in northern Burlington County and northern Ocean County, up toward New York City.

None of our reporting sites officially met the definition of blizzard conditions, but from Newark, NJ, up into Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, many locations have achieved blizzard conditions with a record snowfall of 32.8" in Providence.

When temperatures drop into the low to mid 20s overnight, this means a freeze of any untreated surfaces that will create icy spots for the morning.


Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
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Feb 21, 2026, 8:12 PM GMT

Gov. Sherrill declares state of emergency for New Jersey ahead of winter storm

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said a state of emergency will go into effect for all 21 counties in New Jersey starting at 12 p.m. Sunday.

Residents are asked to visit Ready.NJ.gov for updates.

"Beginning tomorrow and continuing into Monday, we expect to see a winter storm bring severe blizzard conditions across our state," said Governor Sherrill. "We are urging all New Jerseyans to use caution, stay off the roads, and follow all safety protocols during the storm."

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Feb 21, 2026, 4:46 PM GMT

Snow emergencies declared in Pa. communities

Snow emergencies have been declared in communities across suburban Pennsylvania due to the major winter storm set to hit Sunday into Monday.

Check with your local municipality for updates on timing and specific restrictions.

This list will be updated as new notifications are received by Action News.

Click here to see the full list of towns under a snow emergency.

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Feb 21, 2026, 4:05 PM GMT

Over 40 million Americans on alert for winter storm conditions over the weekend

A significant nor'easter is expected to march up the East Coast on Sunday into Monday, bringing significant snow for the I-95 corridor and placing New York City under a blizzard warning for the first time in nearly a decade, with the last one coming in March 2017.

As of Saturday morning, more than 40 million Americans are on alert for winter storm conditions beginning on Sunday and continuing into Monday.

The National Weather Service has upgraded southern Delaware, the Jersey Shore, all of New York City, Long Island and coastal Connecticut to a blizzard warning for increased confidence in snowfall of more than one foot and gusty winds that will likely cause blizzard conditions.

Coastal flood watches are also up from coastal Delaware to the Jersey Shore and Long Island to the coast of southern New England for minor to moderate coastal flooding during high tide.

As the forecast continues to become clearer, expect additional winter weather alerts to be issued over the next 24 hours across the Northeast.

While the exact snowfall totals and which locations will get the most precipitation from the storm remains uncertain, confidence has increased that the eastern seaboard will be dealing with a powerful coastal storm Sunday through late Monday that will bring significant snowfall, high winds and coastal flooding.

This coastal storm is expected to start taking shape over the coastal Carolinas on Sunday, bringing rain to the Mid-Atlantic and some scattered light to moderate snow from Northern Virginia up into Pennsylvania and into parts of New Jersey and New York come Sunday morning into the afternoon.

LIVE UPDATES: Blizzard Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings in the Philadelphia region; up to a foot of snow in places

By late Sunday afternoon, the coastal storm will begin to quickly intensify off the coast of North Carolina and Virginia as it tracks to the Northeast and parallels the East Coast.

By early Monday morning, the storm is anticipated to bring heavy snow, strong wind gusts and coastal flooding across much of the coastal Northeast.

The Jersey Shore, Long Island, the southern coast of New England and Cape Cod could all see blizzard and whiteout conditions early Monday from the combination of heavy snow and very strong wind gusts.

By Monday evening, snow should begin to taper off almost completely for the Northeast except for New England which could still see intermittent precipitation.

Feb 21, 2026, 3:42 PM GMT

'This is going to be a battle.' Atlantic City declares snow emergency

The City of Atlantic City has declared a snow emergency ahead of a nor'easter that is set to bring blizzard conditions and heavy snow to the Jersey Shore starting Sunday night and into Monday morning.

Mayor Marty Small urged residents to take the storm seriously and be ready for disruptions until the snow is cleared.

He urged residents not to put snow in the street.

"Let us do our job. This is going to be a battle," Small said during a Saturday morning news conference.

City officials said when a snow emergency is declared, parking will be prohibited on designated routes to allow plows and emergency vehicles to clear and access roadways safely and efficiently.

Vehicles parked along snow emergency routes during a declared emergency are subject to ticketing and towing.

Mayor Small said both the Wave Parking Garage and the Showboat Parking Garage will be open for residents to park their cars.

The city encourages everyone to:

-Check the Snow Emergency No Parking Route Map ahead of the storm

-Move vehicles off marked routes before snowfall begins

-Allow extra time for travel during and after the storm

-Monitor official city channels for updates and emergency declarations

Meanwhile, all city buildings will be closed for non-essential employees on Monday.

For a map of snow emergency routes, visit this page at ACNJ.gov.