New Jersey Governor Issues Urgent Blizzard Warning for 24 Inches of Snow, 55 MPH Winds
New Jersey's Governor Mikie Sherrill has issued an urgent warning as a major blizzard looms for the Tri-State region.
“I am urging you to stay off the roads Sunday through Monday,” Sherrill said in a February 21 news conference, declaring a state of emergency. “The heaviest snowfall is expected between Sunday night and Monday morning.”
She added on X, 'Blizzard warnings are in effect along coastal New Jersey for the first time since 2022. Please stay alert, monitor your local forecast, and prepare to stay inside on Sunday. If you experience an outage, report it your utility provider. Prepare to stay off the roads."
"Governor Mikie Sherrill declared that New Jersey will enter a State of Emergency effective at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026 in anticipation of a severe winter storm expected to cause hazardous weather conditions across the state, including blizzard conditions with wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour, heavy and widespread snow, and potential coastal flooding," the governor's office wrote.
"Executive Order No. 14 declares a State of Emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey. Recent estimates suggest that snow accumulations could exceed 10 inches across all regions of the state, with some coastal communities expecting as much as 24 inches of snowfall," the governor's office added.
The New Jersey Governor's Warning Mention Snow & 'Extremely High Winds'
The governor warned residents of "extremely high winds" and other problematic conditions. "We're getting a lot of snow and extremely high winds," Sherrill said in the news conference. "These are very dangerous driving conditions."
The governor praised road crews during the press conference. “This storm faces more risks than the last one because of the blizzard conditions and the heavy winds,” she said.
Heads up, New Jersey. The forecast for winter weather this weekend has gotten significantly more serious.
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) February 21, 2026
Here’s what you need to know.
We are expecting a serious storm from Sunday into Monday – with heavy snow, high winds, and coastal flooding.
The governor suggested that people not go to work on Monday, February 23 or shelter if they have to go to work. “I’m urging you again. Do what you’ve got to do now. There’s a great hockey game on in the Olympics tomorrow. U.S. is going for the gold. Stay at home and watch that,” she said.
She repeated her warning on X, writing, "Heads up, New Jersey. The forecast for winter weather this weekend has gotten significantly more serious. Here’s what you need to know. We are expecting a serious storm from Sunday into Monday – with heavy snow, high winds, and coastal flooding."
The National Weather Service Warned of 'Heavy Snow' & 'Widespread Significant Impacts'
(Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
The National Weather Service wrote that "heavy snow will develop over the northern Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast from Sunday afternoon into Monday. The winter storm will produce widespread significant impacts across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Sunday into Monday as a low-pressure system rapidly intensifies off the Mid-Atlantic coast."
Snowfall rates "over 1 inch per hour will occur at times, with snowfall totals of 1 to 2 feet, resulting in near-impossible travel conditions. Furthermore, the combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds will result in blizzard conditions along coastal areas from Delaware through southeastern New England," wrote the NWS.
"Further, sharply reduced visibility will make travel extremely treacherous across these areas. Wind gusts of 40-70 mph are expected from coastal New Jersey into southeast New England. These strong winds, combined with the weight of heavy, wet snow, will likely result in scattered to numerous power outages," added the Weather Service.
"In addition, moderate coastal flooding, with inundation of roads and property near the waterfront, is most likely from Delaware to Cape Cod. Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms will develop over parts of the Southeast through Sunday night. Snow will continue over the Northeast/Northern Mid-Atlantic through Monday evening," the warning continued.