More than a quarter-million Massachusetts residents are without power as of noon, with that cold count climbing! The exact total is 286,666, according to the MEMA database. (Don’t blame me for that number.)
Cape Cod is hit the hardest, with adjacent Plymouth back as the hardest hit with 24,888 without power.
The MEMA outage database lists Falmouth as the second worst in the state, with 22,871 in the dark.
Barnstable has 20,861, Dennis 14,482 and climbing. The Cape is not the place to be today. Bourne, Brewster, Orleans, Mashpee, Nantucket, and Eastham all have thousands of customers without power. That is a big jump from this morning.
On the South Shore, Quincy has 3,541 in the dark, with Marshfield now surpassing that tally with 11,053 outages that represents a big jump from earlier in the day.
On the North Shore, Gloucester has just made the list at 2,884 with no lights or heat in a count that keeps ticking up.
The entire town of Hamilton is reportedly without power, with more than 3,000 outages listed. Just inland near Manchester-by-the-Sea, the Essex county town, like the rest of us, is in the grip of this blizzard that’s going to hang around all day, forecasters say.
Boston has hit the list with 1,218 without power, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reports. The database represents power outages for four power companies in the state.
Tewksbury has about 120 homes or businesses, and Lowell has single digits, without power after 11 a.m.
When will this end?
Forecasters agree this blizzard will ease up from 8 to 10 p.m., with Boston on the tail end of that timeline as the storm pulls out to sea where 18-24-foot waves are being reported. Now, some reports put the storm easing up around 3 p.m. further inland.
Stay inside, if you can
The Boston Public Works division is reporting what all the forecasters are saying — this is the meat of this nor’easter. The best bet is to hunker down and wait it out. “High winds and heavy snow are causing whiteout conditions. Please stay home & avoid the roads,” the DPW pleads.
Blizzard warning extended
The entire state is now under a blizzard warning, in case anyone in Western Massachusetts was feeling left out. Rhode Isalnd and Connecticut are also being hammered, as this line of heavy snow has now dropped close to a foot and more outside our doors. Foxboro is reporting 21.5 inches of snow. And just in, New Bedford has 30 inches of snow with 5,000 without power. (Since I’m compelled to be exact, the outage count in New Bedford just after noon was 4,956.)
Hurricane-force winds
Wellfleet is reporting in with 77 mph, Category 1 hurricane winds. Police report on Facebook that they are witnessing “severe damage to powerlines and trees,” and the “roads are impassable.”
As you can see below, this monster is churning just off our coast.
Morning satellite loop of the very strong Nor'Easter producing powerful winds and very heavy snow across the Northeast. Blizzard conditions and crippling impacts will continue through much of today for the region. 🛰️❄️ pic.twitter.com/VOy5UB48lh
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) February 23, 2026
A foot of snow
For those remembering 2015, this snowfall is heading that way! On a personal note, that’s the year I herniated a disc in my lower back trying to shovel this brand of heavy-wet-cement-like snow. It ain’t a picnic recovering from that type of injury. Best bet is to go slow or pay a neighborhood kid or someone with a snowblower to help you out.
These snow totals are heading toward 2 feet. Be back with the latest. (No, I only shoveled a bit. I’m weighing my options for the time being.)
Thundersnow
That rare winter phenomenon has hit Plymouth, the epicenter of this blizzard, it appears. Our longtime stormchaser friend Jim Cantore just heard the crackle and boom right where he’s posted.
Notice the lightning… pic.twitter.com/bSNj1kvW2S
— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) February 23, 2026
Back to backs
Just into the Herald inbox is a timely warning from UNH about this bombogenesis blizzard and what it will do to your back. Dain LaRoche, professor of kinesiology and associate dean for research at UNH, shares tips on how to shovel out:
The Shovel:
The shovel head should be kept as close to the body as possible to reduce impact on the lower back.
Try to keep the torso as vertical as possible and lift with the legs.
Ergonomic shovels that have a bend allow the shovel head to be closer to ground and can help minimize bending.
How to Shovel:
Pushing snow is better than lifting.
Avoid twisting to throw snow sideways, try to shovel snow straight ahead.
Try to minimize how high you lift the snow which can increase the workload on back and shoulders. Avoid lifting above the waist.
Swap arms periodically to distribute the weight across the body’s muscles.
Taking smaller shovel loads will reduce the muscular load over time.
Wet snow is significantly heavier than fluffy dry snow so take smaller ‘bites’ on the shovel to keep the load manageable.
Warm up:
Ease into shoveling until muscles warm up — muscles and tendons are less elastic when cold and may be more susceptible to injury.
Wearing proper clothing is important to prevent overheating, sweating and causing additional strain on the cardiovascular system. Layer and remove layers as you get warm, put them back on if you get cold.
Take a Break:
Be sure to take breaks. If there is a lot to shovel, break it up into sections. Stop when feeling fatigued, strained or weak – when mechanics might be compromised.
Heed Heart Warnings:
Stop shoveling If you feel lightheaded, have chest pains, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, shortness of breath, joint pain or other significant discomfort. Shoveling is heavy work that people may not be used to and can cause increased stress on heart, lungs and muscles.
This is a developing story as the Herald keeps the power on, hopefully, and the updates coming …
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