February 2026 Summary: Tenth Snowiest on Record

True-color visible satellite imagery of the Blizzard of 2026 off the coast of New England near mid-day of 23 February 2026. NOAA imagery courtesy of the College of DuPage (weather.cod.edu).

Blue Hill Observatory February 2026 Summary: 

February 2026 was generally cold with much more snowfall than normal and average sunshine. The approximated 24-hour mean temperature for the month of 26.1 deg F was 0.5 degrees colder than the 1891-2020 130-year average for February, and it was 3.1 degrees colder than the 1991-2020 30-year average. The average maximum temperature of 34.7 deg F was 2.3 degrees colder than the 30-year normal, and the average minimum temperature of 18.3 deg F was 1.2 degrees colder than the 30-year normal. After a cold start to the month during the first ten days, it remained close to average through the end of the month. The highest temperature was 51F on the 28th, and the lowest temperature was -2F on the 8th. February mean water vapor pressure, which is an absolute measure of water vapor in the air, was 3.4 mb, which corresponded to a mean dew point of about 20F. This amount was slightly below the long-term mean water vapor pressure for February of 3.7 mb, which equals a mean dew point of about 22F. The total precipitation was 2.97 inches, which was 1.03 inches less than the 30-year normal. There were frequent light to moderate snowfalls during the month, until the arrival of the very impactful Blizzard of 2026 on the 22nd-23rd. This storm brought 1.99 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation, which was the greatest in 24-hours for the month, and 24.8 inches of snowfall. Blizzard conditions with strong winds occurred for several hours at the Observatory.  This storm was the fifth largest snowstorm ever observed in February at Blue Hill, and it tied as the eleventh largest snowfall for any month of the year. Parts of southeastern New England received all-time record amounts of snow of 30-38 inches. Snowfall rates reached 2-3 inches per hour at the Observatory and exceeded this rate at other locations. The February total snowfall was 35.9 inches, which was 17.7 inches more than average. Snow depth on the ground was 15 inches or higher all month, and the snow depth reached a season high of 28 inches on the morning of the 24th. The average 7 AM snow depth for February was 18.5 inches, which was the sixth highest on record for the month. The highest sea-level pressure during February was 30.22 inches on the 22nd, and the lowest sea-level pressure was 29.30 inches during the passage of the very intense ocean storm on the 23rd. The mean wind speed was 11.8 mph, which was the second lowest on record for the month, and the prevailing wind direction was from the northwest. The highest wind gust was 68 mph from the northeast during the blizzard on the 23rd. February sunshine was near average with 146.8 hours of bright sunshine, or 51 percent of possible, which was one percent more than the long-term average for the month.

BHO Greatest Snowstorms, inches (1885-2026):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb 1969
2) 30.8 on 26-28 Jan 2015
3) 30.3 on 3-5 Mar 1960
4) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb 1978
5) 30.0 on 31 Mar – 1 Apr 1997
6) 29.8 on 6-8 Mar 2013
7) 28.1 on 7-10 Feb 2015
8) 27.6 on 28-29 Jan 2022
9) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb 2013
10) 25.3 on 25-27 Jan 2026
11) 24.8 on 17-18 Feb 2003
   24.8 on 22-23 Feb 2026

BHO Greatest Calendar Day Snowfall, inches (1885-2026):

1) 27.4 on 24 Feb 1969
2) 25.2 on 27 Jan 2015
3) 24.6 on 23 Feb 2026
4) 23.0 on 13 Mar 2018
5) 20.3 on 12 Dec 1960
6) 20.0 on 17 Feb 2003
7) 19.0 on 20 Jan 1978
8) 18.6 on 16 Feb 1958

BHO Greatest February Monthly Snowfall, inches (1885-2026):

1) 83.6 in 2015
2) 65.4 in 1969
3) 51.3 in 2003
4) 45.2 in 1967
5) 40.4 in 1920
6) 39.7 in 2013
7) 39.0 in 2021
8) 37.0 in 1893
9) 36.0 in 1899
10) 35.9 in 2026

BHO Greatest February Monthly Mean Snow Depth, inches (1895-2026):

1) 34.0 in 2015
2) 27.1 in 1920
3) 25.5 in 1948
4) 20.2 in 2011
5) 20.0 in 1978
6) 18.5 in 2026
7) 17.2 in 1961
8) 17.1 in 1904
9) 15.6 in 1969
10) 15.5 in 1926

BHO Greatest February Snowstorms, inches (1886-2026):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb 1969
2) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb 1978
3) 28.1 on 7-10 Feb 2015
4) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb 2013
5) 24.8 on 22-23 Feb 2026
6) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb 2003
7) 22.2 on 16-17 Feb 1958
8) 21.6 on 14-15 Feb 2015

BHO Greatest February Calendar Day Snowfall, inches (1885-2026):

1) 27.4 on 24 Feb 1969
2) 24.6 on 23 Feb 2026
3) 20.0 on 17 Feb 2003
4) 18.6 on 16 Feb 1958
5) 17.1 on 7 Feb 1978
6) 16.5 on 2 Feb 2015
7) 16.9 on 9 Feb 2017
8) 16.1 on 8 Feb 2013

BHO Lowest February Mean Wind Speed, mph (1885-2026):

1) 11.7 in 2021
2) 11.8 in 2026
3) 12.0 in 2020
12.0 in 2024
5) 12.6 in 2014
12.6 in 2023
7) 12.7 in 2005
12.7 in 2012

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory