Let's Talk Snow

Western Massachusetts residents are shaking off the remnants of yesterday's major snowstorm, which dumped 6 to 8 inches across the 413 region on February 23, 2026.

 

Springfield reported about 8 inches, with similar accumulations in Chicopee, Holyoke, and surrounding towns, while Franklin County and the North Quabbin area saw 4 to 8 inches. Strong winds created hazardous travel conditions, leading to school cancellations, slowed commutes, and scattered power outages — though the 413 largely dodged the worst of it compared to southeastern Massachusetts, where some spots piled up over 3 feet.

 

The storm, officially classified as a blizzard in parts of the state, brought the kind of heavy, consistent snowfall that turned driveways into mountains and tested everyone's shoveling stamina. By Monday afternoon, crews were out clearing roads, and locals were already swapping stories about the "not-as-bad-as-'78" cleanup.

Speaking of which... this week's snow serves as a perfect reminder of the Great Blizzard of 1978, the storm by which all New England winters are still measured. Back on February 6-7, 1978, the region was slammed with 27+ inches in Boston (up to 40+ inches in isolated spots), hurricane-force winds gusting near 80-100 mph, and snow drifts that buried cars, homes, and entire highways. The storm caused coastal flooding, paralyzed transportation for days, and was linked to roughly 100 deaths across the Northeast. Grocery stores were stripped bare for weeks afterward — a lesson in preparedness we still heed today.

 

The attached photo captures the chaos perfectly: a classic '70s sedan nearly entombed in snow under an overpass, with a tow truck on standby and a bundled-up local assessing the damage amid the whiteout.

Scenes like this played out across Massachusetts and Rhode Island as the Blizzard of '78 brought the region to a standstill.

 

Stay safe out there, 413 — keep those shovels handy, check on neighbors, and remember: we've dug out from worse. If your power's still out or roads are tricky, hit up local updates from WWLP or the National Weather Service. Spring is (hopefully) right around the corner!