As the Northeast continues to dig itself out from under one of the largest snowfalls in recent memory, communities from New York City to Providence, Rhode Island, are still reeling from the impact. The massive winter storm that struck on Monday, February 24, 2026, left a trail of disruption in its wake, with schools shuttered, transit systems slowed to a crawl, and thousands left without power. And with meteorologists tracking yet another storm on the horizon, the struggle is far from over.
In New York City, the aftermath was immediately visible on Tuesday, February 25, as public schools reopened for in-person learning. But the city was far from business as usual. According to preliminary attendance numbers shared by schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, just 63% of students showed up—a stark drop from normal rates. The educator workforce was similarly depleted: about 12,000 of the city’s nearly 80,000 teachers, or roughly 15%, were absent. In response, the Department of Education scrambled to call in 5,000 substitute teachers to fill the gaps and keep classrooms running.
The city’s decision to reopen schools in person, rather than pivot to remote learning, was met with a wave of concern and frustration from parents. Over 172,000 people signed a petition in less than 24 hours urging officials to make February 25 a remote learning day. But Mayor Zohran Mamdani explained at a press conference that such a shift wasn’t feasible so soon after the mid-winter break. “It was not possible to ensure that enough students had the devices they needed to effectively participate in remote learning,” Mamdani said, emphasizing the city’s concerns about device access and digital equity.
For many families, the reopening posed more questions than answers. Shawna Williams, a parent and member of the District 25 Community Education Council in Bayside, Queens, described the scene at Bay Terrace P.S. 169, where nearly half the sidewalk remained unplowed during early-morning drop-off. The principal had sent out an email warning parents of significant staff absences and possible changes to class schedules. The school canceled art and physical education classes, adjusted pick-up and drop-off times, and assigned substitute teachers to some classes. “I wasn’t surprised about schools being in-person,” Williams said. “But I wonder if it was worth the effort when so many staff and students seem to be absent.”
Elsewhere in the city, the storm’s impact was no less severe. Kim Basile, a physical education teacher in southeast Brooklyn, found herself unable to make it to work when her Staten Island driveway was snowed in. Attempts to take the express bus ended in frustration due to severe delays. Basile was one of about 32 staff members absent from her school that day—an absence rate that mirrored the broader struggles across the system.
Behind the scenes, the city had mobilized significant resources to prepare for reopening. Approximately 8,000 Department of Education staff worked over the weekend to clear entrances and ready buildings. Still, the cleanup was far from complete. Mayor Mamdani reported that more than 2,600 sanitation workers plowed every street at least once and cleared over 7,300 crosswalks and 3,366 bus stops after the storm. “Due to blowing snow after the storm, many will need to be redressed,” he noted, acknowledging the ongoing challenges.
Transportation remained a sticking point for many families. The city deployed about 200 extra sanitation staff to Staten Island to help clear roads and resume regular bus service, with officials promising that normal service would return by Wednesday. Still, the advocacy group Parents to Improve School Transportation argued that a remote day could have eased the burden for the roughly 150,000 children who rely on yellow buses. Mayor Mamdani downplayed the issue, noting that as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the city had received only about 78 complaints about school bus access, with just 15 out of 8,000 routes reporting delays. By the end of the day, there were 37 reports of school bus vendor delays, according to public data. City transit authority buses also operated with delays, but officials expected regular service to resume the following morning.
Monday, February 24, had been a traditional snow day for New York City students—a rare event in the age of remote learning. The mayor had requested a waiver from the state’s 180-instructional day requirement, citing the city’s prior use of four professional development days toward that total. For many, the snow day was a welcome break, but the resumption of in-person classes the next day left plenty of logistical headaches in its wake.
While New York City struggled to get back on its feet, other parts of the Northeast were facing even more daunting challenges. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, Monday’s storm dumped more than two feet of snow in many areas. Rhode Island saw more than three feet—surpassing the totals from the legendary Blizzard of 1978, a storm still etched in the region’s collective memory. As of 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, February 26, more than 159,000 people in Massachusetts were still without power, with Cape Cod especially hard hit due to its reliance on a single power circuit. Some residents had seen their power restored, but for many, the wait continued as crews worked around the clock to repair downed lines and restore service.
With cleanup efforts still underway, many students in Massachusetts faced a third straight snow day on Wednesday, while others had delayed starts as plows and utility crews struggled to keep up. Meteorologists warned that another storm could bring a few extra inches of snow, threatening to complicate an already difficult recovery. Even a small amount of fresh snow, experts cautioned, could make the job of clearing streets, sidewalks, and power lines that much harder.
In Providence, Rhode Island, the city was hauling snow to five different locations around town, according to the city government’s communications director. The sheer volume of snow forced officials to consider adding even more dumping grounds. But not everyone was pleased with the city’s choices. State Representative David Morales criticized the decision to haul snow to a vacant lot in South Providence slated for redevelopment, describing the area as “the most polluted part of the city” and noting that it is home to a dense population of people of color. The move sparked a debate over environmental justice and the long-standing inequities that can surface during times of crisis.
As the region braces for the possibility of yet more snow, the resilience of its communities is being put to the test. The storm’s aftermath has revealed not just the scale of the logistical challenge, but also the disparities and difficult decisions that come with managing a crisis of this magnitude. For families, educators, and local officials, the question remains: how to balance safety, equity, and the need to keep life moving when winter refuses to let go?
For now, as streets are cleared and power lines are restored, the Northeast’s determination and resourcefulness are on full display—reminders that even in the face of record-breaking storms, communities find ways to carry on.