Bostonians are waking up to a full‑on blizzard today, with heavy, wet snow, fierce winds, and dangerous travel conditions across much of Massachusetts.
What defines a blizzard
The National Weather Service classifies a storm as a blizzard when sustained winds or frequent gusts reach at least 35 mph, visibility drops to a quarter mile or less in falling or blowing snow, and those conditions last for at least three consecutive hours. That mix of strong winds and near‑whiteout visibility is what makes blizzards so dangerous for driving, power lines, and anyone caught outside.
The last Boston Blizzard took place in January 2022.
Blizzard vs. nor’easter
Today’s storm is also a classic nor’easter, which refers to the storm’s structure and wind direction rather than its intensity alone. A nor’easter is a coastal low‑pressure system that tracks up the Eastern Seaboard, with counterclockwise winds blowing from the northeast and feeding in Atlantic moisture, and it can bring heavy rain, coastal flooding, or snow — sometimes reaching true blizzard criteria, as we’re seeing today. In other words, many blizzards here are nor’easters, but not every nor’easter becomes a blizzard.
How long this blizzard will last
The core of the storm is hammering Massachusetts through today, with the most intense combination of wind and heavy snow from around pre‑dawn through early to mid‑afternoon. Forecasters expect the heaviest snow bands to ease later this afternoon and evening, with improving visibility overnight, though lighter snow and blowing and drifting snow could still cause issues into tonight before skies turn quieter on Tuesday.
Wind gusts across Massachusetts
Winds are one of the defining features of this storm, and they’re already living up to the blizzard billing. Logan Airport in Boston has recorded gusts close to 50–60 mph, strong enough to bring down tree limbs and power lines. Farther southeast, gusts have been even more extreme: Chatham on the Cape has clocked a 73 mph gust, and Nantucket has seen around 83 mph, flirting with hurricane‑force strength and contributing to widespread outages, especially on Cape Cod and along the South Coast.
Snow in Boston so far — and what’s still coming
Heavy, wet snow has been piling up quickly across eastern Massachusetts. Early reports show Boston already over 10 inches, with broader totals of roughly 7–15 inches across the Greater Boston area as bands pivot through the city. Forecasts still call for this nor’easter to be a potentially “top‑ten” snowstorm for Boston, with the city possibly pushing toward 18–24 inches by the time the last flakes fly, and localized totals over 2 feet still on the table to the southeast.
The storm from January 2026 dumped among the top 10 snowfalls in Boston history, this week’s storm also has the chance to become historic.
When the next chance of snow is
Once this system pulls away, conditions turn quieter but stay wintry. Boston’s extended forecast points to mostly sunny and cold weather on Tuesday, then another chance of snow returning by midweek as a separate system approaches around Wednesday. After that, clouds and seasonable temperatures dominate late in the week, with no immediate repeat of today’s blizzard‑level impacts showing up in the short‑term outlook.