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| This Month in the Garden |
Welcome to This Month in the Garden! During the days before, the temperatures had finally started to rise after several weeks. The snow had almost completely melted from the previous storm and signs of spring were evident, as the lawn was once again visible and hyacinths could be seen emerging from their winter's sleep. There was a possible light coating of snow in the forecast, but nothing to worry about, and it would melt by the next day. Suddenly, forecasts of a major storm started escalating. Words like historic, paralyzing, and record-breaking began circulating across every news channel. During the afternoon of February 22, 2026, the snow gently started to come down over the landscape.
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
Overnight, the storm advanced. Snow bands stalled and strengthened, feeding on Atlantic moisture and cold Arctic air locked in place. Winds escalated and the snow got heavier with accumulations of up to 2-4 inches per hour. As it intensified, the storm was officially upgraded to what is referred to as a "Bomb Cyclone", with bands of heavy snow and wind gusts exceeding 50 mph overnight. Along our far east coastal shorelines here on Long Island, winds reached upwards of 70–80 mph.
Meteorologists described this event as among the most intense winter storms in years, as I could hear the winds throughout the night, and even experienced the first "thunder snow" as lighting shot across the sky in the early hours of the morning. Non-essential travel was banned across New York and neighboring states during the worst of the storm due to dangerous blizzard conditions, and power outages affected hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the region. Fortunately, we were sparred.
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
By the morning of February 23rd, neighborhoods across the northeastern United States were buried. Roads disappeared, cars became rounded mounds and masses of snow hung from the rooftop. In places like Long Island and across much of New York and New England, the final measurement stunned even veteran meteorologists, with a record 29.1 inches of snow. It surpassed totals from the legendary Blizzard of 1978 and the massive 2013 storm that many had assumed would remain the benchmark for a generation.
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
For longtime residents, the Blizzard of 1978 had been remembered for its ferocious winds and immobilized highways. I remember it well, as my parents had bought me a car for my college graduation, which was due to pick up the day after that storm. My parents drove me there and my dad drove the car home until we got a couple of blocks away, then safely let me drive the rest of the way. The 2013 storm was known for breathtaking totals and coastal flooding. After a decade, the Blizzard of 2026 has made weather history.
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
By late afternoon on the 23rd, the storm finally began to loosen its grip. Snow tapered to flurries, the winds softened and there was a strange beauty among the landscape. Streets were impassable, but untouched. The world felt paused, cocooned. Evergreens that typically stand proud in winter were bent to the ground. Garden beds disappeared beneath sculpted drifts that reshaped entire yards. For gardeners across the region, especially those already dreaming of spring planting plans, it was a humbling reminder that "mother nature' is the one who sets the schedule. With that, the sound of plows were heard in the distance.
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
On the morning of the 24th, the sky emerged in brilliant, uninterrupted blue, the kind that only appears after a major winter storm and light struck the fresh snow, showing shadows. Icicles hanging from the roof sparked like glass in the sunlight. The storm, so dominant just hours before, suddenly seemed distant. Neighbors stepped outside cautiously, boots crunching through nearly two and a half feet of a wet, dense snow. The labor began, shoveling out to resume life. For many, they had not seen anything like this before.
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| Blizzard of 2026 |
The morning following blue skies, the snow had arrived once again for just a short time, gracing the landscape with 3.1 additional inches of snowfall. Gazing through the window, a feeling of peace and silence came upon me, as I could see the sun gently making its way through the clouds. Records had been made. Airports and businesses have been reopened, and delivery trucks have reappeared. Life resumes, although carefully. Beneath those 29.1 inches plus of snowfall, gardens rest.
I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden! How did you weather the storm? I would love to hear from you!
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For now, keep warm and as always... happy gardening!
Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved.
