February 2026 was marked by large amounts of snowstorms that hit large areas of the United States, causing troubles to transports, blackouts and the economy forcing some states to declare an emergency state. According to the National Weather Service, the storm was created by the addition of a system of low pressure with a hard wind coming from Canada. This affected major cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, reaching a big accumulation of snow, more than 60 cm of snow.
The transports sector was the one affected the most, more than 8000 planes from all over the world were canceled in the main airports and thousands of passengers were stuck in the terminals, while airlines were failing to reschedule departures.
Wind power up to 110 kilometres per hour hit all the area, it was strong enough to damage infrastructures: “There are many trees down and power lines blocking the roads,” Joy Flores, vice president of the Nashville Rescue Mission homeless shelter, told the BBC.
For now the amount of snow and ice has damaged electrical infrastructure in many states. According to estimates, more that 600,000 users were left without power for days during the most intense phases of the storm and forced to come up with alternatives.
Schools and activities are suspended in the state of New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, and New Jersey. New York City school officials have announced that 13 buildings will be opened and used as “welcome centers.”
Several governors have declared a state of emergency to protect citizens from danger and facilitate the use of resources, while trying to coordinate and stop travel around cities, in order to clear main roads and ensure access to health services for emergencies.
In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro has declared a state of emergency to facilitate the activation of resources and storm response teams. In New Jersey, all 21 counties have been put in a state of emergency, and banned from travel with the suspension of public transports. New York city, the most affected, put a ban on city travel for days to limit damage.
The snowstorm had a significant impact on the economy of the country: the thousands of flights cancelled have caused losses for the airline industry and tourism related activities. Blackouts and damaged infrastructure increased prices for companies and administration, while in the meantime consumption had decreased, due to the few possibilities of movement throughout the cities.
The American government is hoping and working for a sudden recovery in the following months, but right now, the economic start of the new year was negatively impacted by every shore, leading the country to a phase of slowdown and despair.
