The three-month meteorological winter that ends with February sawa particularly deadly span of stormsand heavy snow, claiming at least 150 lives in the United States over just 32 days.
Hypothermia, snow shoveling, motor vehicle accidents and recreational activities wereamong the leading causes of deathduring the two big storms that blasted all or parts of the eastern United States, USA TODAY research shows.
But the deadly tragedies share a common theme, Brett Robertson, an associate professor and associate director of the University of South Carolina's Hazards Vulnerability & Resilience Institute, wrote inan essay for TheConversation.comafter the major winter storm in late January. "Winter storms pose multiple dangers at once, and people often underestimate how quickly conditions can become life-threatening."
A powerful nor'easter rapidly intensified early Monday as it pummeled much of the Northeast with heavy snow, grounding flights, shuttering schools and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
A snowplow clears a parking lot in front of a Tarrytown, N.Y. apartment building before dawn during blizzard conditions during the nor'easter Feb. 23, 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Blizzard hammers Northeast as heavy snow and wind snarl region
A powerful nor'easter rapidly intensified early Mondayas it pummeled much of the Northeast with heavy snow, grounding flights, shuttering schools and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.A snowplow clears a parking lot in front of a Tarrytown, N.Y. apartment building before dawn during blizzard conditions during the nor'easter Feb. 23, 2026.
Northeast blizzard proved deadly
The most recent blizzard and storm, a Nor'easter that intensified off the Atlantic coast, struck the Northeast Feb. 22 through Feb. 24. A dozen deaths have been reported, including at least six attributed to shoveling snow.
In Rhode Island, wheremore than 3 feet of snow fellin at least two locations, two people died, The Providence Journal reported. Salve Regina University identified one of the fatalities as Joseph Boutros, a 21-year-old student. Boutros died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Feb. 23 while attempting to charge his cellphone in his snow-covered car.
The other person who died has not been identified publicly, but the death – in North Smithfield – was shoveling related, said Joseph Wendelken, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Health.
In addition to the deaths, the severe winter weather kept emergency rooms busy. During the Rhode Island blizzard, for example, local hospitals saw at least 263 emergency department visits related to the storm, Wendelken said.
In Maryland, two people were killed on Feb. 22 when a falling tree struck a vehicle, according to the Calvert County Sheriff's Office. The driver, Michael Lee Simpson, 60, of Deale, and front seat passenger Virginia Marie Quesenberry, 43, of Chesapeake Beach, died at the scene, the department stated. A third passenger was taken to a trauma center with critical injuries.
The Maryland State Police reported responding to 343 crashes during the course of the snowstorm.
In Massachusetts, Patrick Sarpong, 35, of Vernon, Connecticut, wasstruck and killed by a tractor traileron Feb. 24 as he was clearing snow off his car on the side of the Massachusetts Turnpike, according to the Massachusetts State Police. State troopers reported responding to more than 500 disabled vehicles during the storm.
On Long Island, in New York, media outlets reported five deaths were attributed to snow shoveling and the body of one man was found buried under 5 feet of snow.
Bitter cold and hypothermia
The winter storm and blast of polar air thatcovered the eastern half of the United States from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27proved especially hazardous because of the below freezing temperatures and wind chills.
The extended cold conditions were particularly harsh, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted during a news conference in late February. Bitter cold lingered for days, and although some of the deaths remain under investigation, at least 30 were attributed to hypothermia during that bout of freezing weather.
Signs of hypothermia can be difficult to recognize, the National Weather Service said. They include dizziness, stiff muscles and difficulty speaking. It's important to dress in layers when venturing outside, and to choose breathable fabric for your base layer.
Another 11 deaths during the January winter storm were likely related to shoveling snow, according to reports from officials and coroners. In total, USA TODAY research shows nearly 20 people died as either a direct or indirect result of shoveling snow over the five weeks.
Lifting heavy wet snow with shovels is much more taxing on the body than most people realize, doctors told reporters in the USA TODAY Network. Weather forecasters and medical professionals repeatedly urge those who must shovel snow to drink lots of water because of the way the activity can cause dehydration, especially in those with pre-existing medical conditions. They also advise taking breaks often and dressing warmly.
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Avalanches caused a dozen deaths
After a winter in the West that raised concerns about lack of snow, heavy snow began to fall in the western mountains, with layers of snow creating hazardous conditions that led toseveral deadly avalanches.
Over a six-day period, 13 people were killed:
Feb. 17 – Nineskiers in one group died in an avalanchenear Lake Tahoe. Six survived.
Feb. 18 – Afather snowmobiling in Wasatch County, Utah, became trapped at the bottom of a steep slope. As his son tried to help, an avalanche caught, carried and buried the father, the Utah Avalanche Center reported.
Feb. 19 –A young girl was killed in an avalanchein the backcountry near Brighton, Utah, the avalanche center stated in a preliminary report.
Feb. 21 –A skier died in an avalanchein the Big Cottonwood Canyon region of Utah, according to the center.
Feb. 22 – A person on a snowbike was caught, carried and fully buried in a very large avalanche well above the town of Midway, Utah, the center reported.
According to the avalanche center's statistics, Utah averagesbetween 3 and 4 avalanche-related deaths a year.
How you can help prevent deaths
While some deaths are unavoidable, emergency management officials, law enforcement officers and hospitals throughout the country have reiterated this winter that you can take steps to reduce your risks and protect your family.
To safeguard your life and the lives of others, "before a winter storm or any hazardous weather event, preparation is key," according to the Weather Service.
"Ahead of winter storms, It's important to have an action plan for your home that includes enduring extended power and water outages that can last up to a week," said Charlie Woodrum, resilience and preparedness lead for the weather service. "Beyond having a plan for your family, it's important to make sure you plan for the care of your pets and watch out for elderly neighbors."
Because the elderly can be particularly vulnerable in extreme cold, the weather service routinely encourages people to check-in with any at-risk neighbors or friends and family before and during storms, bitter cold and power outages.
Woodrum and many police departments posting on social media during the storm said it's important to "avoid travel altogether" when conditions are bad.
In his essay, Robertson wrote that "nearby social ties matter during disasters because they help people share information and act more quickly when services are disrupted." He encouraged those preparing for storms to make sure their information is "coming from reliable sources."
Contributing: Norman Miller, MetroWest Daily News
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2026 winter storms claim 150 lives in US
The three-month meteorological winter that ends with February sawa particularly deadly span of stormsand heavy snow, clai...
