Just days after a historic blizzard blanketed Connecticut and much of the Northeast, another round of snow swept in on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, leading to widespread school closures and delays across Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. The region, still reeling from the aftermath of the blizzard—the first officially recorded in Connecticut since 2018, according to the National Weather Service—found itself bracing once more as a fast-moving clipper system threatened to complicate recovery efforts and daily routines.
On Tuesday afternoon, February 24, 2026, the parking lot of Osborn Hill School in Fairfield, Connecticut, remained mostly unplowed—a striking image of the lingering impact of the storm. Residents had barely finished digging out from the blizzard that struck Sunday evening into Monday, dumping as much as two feet of snow in some areas, when forecasts warned of additional snowfall. The National Weather Service predicted that the latest system would bring another 1 to 3 inches of snow by daybreak Wednesday, creating slippery conditions for the morning commute before tapering off around noon.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for local officials and families. The blizzard earlier in the week had already caused significant disruptions: schools throughout Connecticut were closed on Tuesday, February 24, and thousands of residents faced power outages. In the eastern part of the state, the snow totals were particularly staggering. North Stonington recorded an eye-popping 30.8 inches, while Plainfield measured 27 inches, according to officials. These numbers placed the storm among the most severe in recent memory, and many communities struggled to clear roads and restore essential services before the next round of snow arrived.
As the new snow began to fall on Wednesday, school districts across Connecticut announced closures and delays, erring on the side of caution for student and staff safety. The list of affected schools was extensive, underscoring the widespread impact of the back-to-back storms. Among those closed were the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Ansonia Public Schools, Avon Public Schools, Bethany Public Schools, Bethel Public Schools, Branford Public Schools, Bridgeport Public Schools, Bristol Public Schools, Brookfield Public Schools, Brooklyn Public Schools, Canton Public Schools, Clinton Public Schools, Danbury Public Schools, Derby Public Schools, East Haddam Public Schools, East Hampton Public Schools, East Haven Public Schools, East Lyme Public Schools, Farmington Public Schools, Granby Public Schools, Griswold Public Schools, Groton Public Schools, Guilford Public Schools, Hamden Public Schools, Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich, Killingly Public Schools, LEARN The Friendship School in Waterford, LEARN Transition School in Niantic, LEARN Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy in New London, Ledyard Public Schools, Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools, Madison Public Schools, Mansfield Public Schools, Meriden Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Montville Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools, Naugatuck Public Schools, New Fairfield Public Schools, New Hartford Public Schools, New Haven Public Schools, New London Public Schools, New Milford Public Schools, North Stonington Public Schools, North Windham School, Norwich Public Schools, Notre Dame High School in West Haven (which held a virtual school day), Orange Public Schools, Oxford Public Schools, Plainfield Public Schools, Plymouth Public Schools, Portland Public Schools, Preston Public Schools, Putnam Public Schools, Regional School District 17, Ridgefield Public Schools, Sacred Heart School in Norwich, Salem School District, Saint Bernard School in Uncasville, Seymour Public Schools, Shelton Public Schools, Sherman School, Simsbury Public Schools, St. Joseph School in New London, Stonington Public Schools, Stratford Public Schools, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Southington Public Schools, Stafford Public Schools, Sterling Community School, St. Mark School in Stratford, Thomaston Public Schools, Tolland Public Schools, Torrington Public Schools, Trumbull Public Schools, Voluntown Elementary School, Wallingford Public Schools, Waterbury Public Schools, Waterford Public Schools, Westbrook Public Schools, West Hartford Public Schools, West Haven Public Schools, Weston Public Schools, Winchester Public Schools, Wolcott Public Schools, Woodbridge School District, Woodstock Public Schools, and Xavier High School in Middletown.
Regional School District 16 opted for a two-hour delay, joining a growing list of districts across the tri-state area that chose delayed openings over full closures as a way to balance safety with the need to get students back into classrooms. This pragmatic approach was echoed in neighboring states. According to reporting from local sources, New York and New Jersey schools also faced their share of weather-related disruptions. In New York, East Islip School District, Marlboro Central School District, and Riverhead School District each announced two-hour delays. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Barnegat Township School District, Colts Neck Township School District, Kinnelon Borough School District, and Middletown Township School District all reported two-hour delays, while Bloomfield School District, Netcong Elementary, and Riverdale Public Elementary implemented 90-minute delays.
The scale of the closures and delays underscored just how disruptive the weather had become. For many families, the repeated interruptions to the school schedule were more than just a logistical headache—they were a reminder of the unpredictable power of nature and the challenges of keeping communities safe and functioning during extreme weather events. The National Weather Service’s confirmation that this was Connecticut’s first official blizzard since 2018 only added to the sense of occasion and urgency.
Local officials and school administrators faced a delicate balancing act: weighing the need to restore normalcy against the imperative of safety. The decision to close or delay schools was not taken lightly, especially given the cumulative effect of missed classroom time. Yet with roads still being cleared and neighborhoods recovering from power outages, caution prevailed. As one district official put it, "Our first priority is always the safety of our students and staff. With so much snow on the ground and more falling, it’s just not worth the risk."
For Connecticut residents, the back-to-back storms evoked memories of past severe winters, but also highlighted improvements in preparedness and communication. Real-time updates were made available online, and many districts used digital platforms to keep families informed about closures, delays, and virtual learning options. In some cases, like Notre Dame High School in West Haven, schools shifted to remote instruction for the day, demonstrating a degree of flexibility that has become more common in recent years.
Still, the physical challenges remained. Images of unplowed parking lots, buried cars, and snowbanks towering over sidewalks served as a stark reminder that, for all the advances in forecasting and remote learning, winter weather can still bring daily life to a grinding halt. The storm’s aftermath left public works crews working around the clock, with residents pitching in to shovel driveways and check on neighbors.
Looking ahead, meteorologists cautioned that while the worst of the snow had passed, lingering cold and the risk of icy roads would continue to pose hazards. The hope among many was that the region would see a break from major storms long enough for communities to fully recover and for students to return to their classrooms without further interruption.
As Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey dug out once again, the resilience of local communities was on full display. Whether facing another snow day at home or braving a delayed commute, residents adapted with a mix of patience, humor, and determination—proving, yet again, that the Northeast knows how to weather a storm.