A severe winter storm has left hundreds of thousands of residents across New England without power following heavy snow and hurricane-force winds. As of Tuesday, 24 February 2026, the Eversource interactive outage map indicates significant clusters of blackouts across its service territories. These outages are particularly concentrated in coastal areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Peak wind gusts reached 98 mph in some locations during the height of the blizzard. Utility providers have described the restoration effort as a large-scale, multi-day operation. Maintenance crews are currently attempting to navigate deep snow drifts and buried lines to reach damaged infrastructure.
The restoration process remains complex due to the weight of the snowfall. Unlike drier conditions, the heavy moisture has caused tree limbs and power lines to snap under the physical load. Officials have warned that the danger to the public remains high despite the storm tapering off on Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy snow, wind gusts over 70 mph, and near zero visibility continue to create hazardous conditions across Massachusetts. These extreme conditions have caused widespread outages and are preventing the safe use of bucket trucks and other equipment. Until the weather improves, our… pic.twitter.com/1dA28MsgW8
— National Grid US (@nationalgridus) February 24, 2026
Impact on Regional Power Networks
The blizzard began late on Sunday, 22 February, and disrupted electricity for over 600,000 customers across the northeast of the United States. In Massachusetts, Eversource and National Grid reported more than 270,000 outages late on Monday. The communities of Cape Cod and the Islands were almost entirely without service after the grid failed across the region.
In Connecticut, utility providers have deployed approximately 700 crews to manage the crisis, according to local reporting. This workforce includes mutual aid from neighbouring states, including New York and Pennsylvania. However, officials have stated that poor visibility and blowing snow continue to impede travel to specific damage sites.
Challenges to Infrastructure Repair
The President of Massachusetts Electric Operations, Doug Foley, noted that crews are dealing with blocked roads and downed lines that are difficult to identify beneath the snow, according to the Boston Globe. In Rhode Island, record-breaking snowfall of nearly 38 inches has paralysed sections of the grid. This has led to a multi-day restoration effort that is currently in effect.
Speeds have been lowered to 45 mph on the F.E. Everett Turnpike (Nashua-Concord), Route 101 (Epping to Hampton), the Spauldng Turnpike (Portsmouth to Milton) and the I-95.
— New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) February 23, 2026
If you have to drive in the winter weather, please drive carefully. pic.twitter.com/BxKkR3aakv
Local authorities have reported numerous road closures caused by broken poles and wires. In Wilton, Connecticut, police confirmed that several primary routes were impassable on Tuesday morning. In Eastham, Massachusetts, the entire town was reported to be offline. Tree surgeons and emergency crews are working continuously to clear priority paths for medical and emergency vehicles.
Safety Protocols and Restoration Timelines
Eversource has urged residents to treat all fallen wires as live and dangerous. Members of the public have been advised not to attempt to clear tree limbs from lines independently. The utility company is instead requesting that customers report hazards directly to emergency dispatchers while crews work to isolate damaged sections of the network.
Today’s snowstorm hit New England hard. Here in New Hampshire, we’ve restored power to 6,016 customers today, with 5,548 restored in <5 minutes using smart switches. Our crews are braving the freezing winds to get our remaining customers back on as quickly and safely as possible. pic.twitter.com/wQM1RUgsW5
— Eversource NH (@EversourceNH) February 23, 2026
The brutal conditions made it unsafe to get to damage locations today, and that’s been frustrating for our crews. With the worst weather behind us, they’re eager to get the power back on for our customers as quickly and safely as possible. We’ll continue working around the clock. pic.twitter.com/h4blcCx3Jh
— Eversource MA (@EversourceMA) February 24, 2026
The scale of the damage varies significantly across the affected states. Cape Cod remains the hardest-hit area, with over 155,000 customers without power and a restoration timeline expected to last several days. In Southern Connecticut, numerous outages persist in New Haven, though aid has arrived from five different states to assist. Rhode Island faces the most significant physical obstruction, where 37.9 inches of snow has left the grid largely immobile. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, damage is primarily concentrated in coastal areas, while central regions were largely spared.
The utility providers have not yet confirmed a specific time for 100 per cent restoration across the coastal regions. Crews are expected to continue work through the night, with the most heavily impacted areas in Barnstable County likely to see the longest delays. Local municipalities have opened warming centres for residents as the process of clearing debris and repairing the high-voltage network continues.
