The Blizzard of 2026 hits Island

Updated Feb. 23, 7:25 pm

A blizzard began to slam into the Island overnight with heavy snow — more than 18 inches already recorded in many places — as well as howling winds up to 71 miles per hour and coastal flooding. Snow accumulating on power lines as well as felled trees have left thousands of Islanders without power.

There continue to be white-out conditions as of Monday afternoon as well as snow drifts mounting to levels that could rival the historic Blizzard of 1978. The Northeast has seemingly ground to a halt. The Steamship Authority canceled all trips Monday, and the Island’s supply chain is heavily impacted, halting fuel deliveries and closing grocery stores.

A state of emergency was declared in Massachusetts, but parts of the state saw the ban lifted around 6 pm Monday. Dukes County remains in the state of emergency, and Gov. Maura Healey added the county to a travel ban for the South Coast and Cape late Monday.

Local officials also asked that people stay off the roads. Edgartown Police posted to social media Monday: “Many streets and roads are impassable. Trees are down. Power lines are down. Driving is very dangerous. Please stay off the roads unless you have a dire emergency.”

“While the worst of the storm is behind us and much of the state is turning to shoveling out, conditions remain severe and dangerous across Southeastern Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey in a press release. “We need everyone to stay off the roads for their own safety and to allow our crews to do their work – especially in Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable counties and on the Vineyard. We will also have additional members of the National Guard assisting municipalities with snow and debris removal, transportation, non-fire related emergency responses, rescues and any other needs. It will take some time for crews to address snow removal and power outages, so we urge everyone to remain cautious and patient while we work to get things back to normal.”

According to Eversource’s online map, the heaviest concentration of outages earlier was in Oak Bluffs where 4,430 customers were without power. Throughout the day, well over 10,000 customers lost power. As of 4 pm, the highest concentration is in Edgartown at 2,456 outages, and there are thousands more without power across the Island.

It is uncertain when power will be restored or exactly how many customers on the Island lost power, but as of 1 pm, there were 230,000 outages across the state, and Eversource reported damage as early as 3:30 am Monday. Olessa Stepanova, a spokesperson for the utility company, said that 85 to 90 percent of the outages are on the Cape and Islands.

A text blast from Eversource on Monday afternoon said that the blizzard conditions caused “monumental damage to the electrical system on the Cape and Islands.” The blast added that power could take multiple days to restore. Stepanova said that work should start later Monday, and that the company hopes to make good progress tomorrow. A handful of customers, however, could not have power for three to five days, an estimation for a storm of this caliber. Eversource’s tree crews can’t be out in bucket trucks in winds over 35 miles per hour, so they’ve been limited so far as to where they can safely access the damage.

The company can restore power remotely in some areas and was able to do so for 100,000 customers across the state already, and Stepanova said the plan is to relocate crews stationed out in Western Massachusetts and New Hampshire to the Cape and Islands as soon as is safe to do so.

Stepanova said that the utility company prepared for this “powerful nor’easter” and expected high winds and heavy snow. They pre-staged crews in coastal towns and the Cape and Islands, where they expected the worst from a mix of wind gusts and wet snow and tree-related damage to power lines. Some parts of the Cape, such as Provincetown are out completely.

“We haven’t had a storm like this in years,” Stepanova said. “The last time we have anything like this on record that had this many outages and these types of conditions was in 2022.”

In what many say could be a historic blizzard, unofficially named Winter Storm Hernando by the Weather Channel and other outlets, began with light snowfall late Sunday night on the Vineyard that soon turned into powerful winds and heavy snow. The National Weather Service forecast that the Island could see between a foot to over two feet of snow by the end of the storm as well as wind gusts up to 71 mph. A blizzard warning is in effect until 7 am Tuesday, and the federal agency warned of potential coastal flooding. Conditions of this storm differ greatly from the winter mixes the Island saw in January, when the snow was light and fluffy and didn’t cause this amount of damage to trees or power lines.

The powerful storm has led businesses and municipal facilities to close for the day. Public transportation services like the Steamship Authority and the Vineyard Transit Authority also suspended trips.

Claire Seguin, president and COO, of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital said they are monitoring the situation.

“Our hospital and emergency department remain open and operational to anyone experiencing a medical emergency,” Seguin said in a statement. “All elective surgeries and procedures scheduled for today, February 23, have been rescheduled, and outpatient appointments have either been rescheduled or are being held virtually. We encourage the public to visit mvhospital.org for the latest information about weather‑related closures or service changes. We are extremely grateful to all of our dedicated teams who are working through this storm to care for our patients, their families, and each other.”

Steve Bernier, the proprietor of Cronig’s for more than 40 years, said that he and current owner and chief executive Andrea Donnely decided Monday morning that the grocery store would close its locations all day. It’s the first time that they’ve closed for a full day since Bernier’s been with the company. Even when Hurricane Bob hit in 1991, Cronig’s managed to open for part of the day. Bernier is also the owner of The Martha’s Vineyard Times.

They will do their best to open Tuesday morning, but, Bernier added, they will “have to play that by ear.”

“The Steamship is shut down and expected to resume operations at some point tomorrow, but we do not know when,” he said. “So we have to wait and see what happens. Just plowing the parking lot is challenging as there is nowhere to put all the snow, and when cleared it is drifting back … We also can’t endanger our employees, and so this is an extraordinary circumstance.”

Bernier also explained that the supply chain up and down the entire Northeast is paralyzed now and likely will be disrupted for at least several days.

“This is the first time in 40 years that Cronig’s will be closed all day,” Bernier said. “My history file tells me this will end up rivaling the Blizzard of ‘78.”

Stop & Shop in Edgartown is open today but lost power and can’t sell any refrigerated products. The same supermarket in Vineyard Haven couldn’t be reached by phone.

The Dukes County Emergency Management Association announced Sunday several shelter locations for those “experiencing power outages or unsafe heating conditions.”

• West Tisbury Free Public Library will serve as a warming center, offering Wi-Fi and charging for devices. 
  • Location: 1042 State Rd, West Tisbury
  • Hours: Monday, all day and overnight; Tuesday, all day
• Harbor Homes will offer an overnight shelter and offer meals. Regular shelter rules will be in effect. 
  • Location: 111 New York Ave, Oak Bluffs
  • Hours: Sunday, 6 pm, through 8 am Tuesday. For entry after 7 pm, call 774-563-3687. 
• Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society will offer emergency shelter for animals and livestock. 
  • Location: 35 Panhandle Rd, West Tisbury
  • Contact: Chrystopher Lyons at 508-889-7891 or facilities@mvagsoc.org.  
  • The Ag Society asks those who need the emergency shelter to contact them as soon as possible. For rules and regulations, visit here.

Edgartown Police also announced Monday that Edgartown School was opened as a warming center for those that have no power or heat. There is access via the front entrance of the school and is “open now until further notice,” but there is no access to food.

Island emergency managers asked that people prepare for the storm and gave this guidance:

• Be ready for possible power outages.
• Stock emergency kits with blankets, flashlights, batteries, nonperishable food, water, and medications. The association recommended at least three days of non-perishable food, water, and medications.
• Charge phones and medical devices. 
• Verify sufficient heating fuel (oil, propane, wood, etc.).
• Clear snow from outdoor exhaust vents during and after the storm.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Charge phones, medical devices, and backup batteries.
• Protect pipes from freezing by insulating them and opening sink cabinets.
• Bring pets indoors and ensure their food and water don’t freeze.
• Check on elderly or vulnerable neighbors.
• Enable wireless emergency alerts and monitor trusted sources for updates.