Boston braces for weekend snow but don’t worry it’s no Blizzard of ’78
Boston is facing another significant winter weather event this weekend with snow expected Sunday into Monday and snowfall totals of 6 inches or more likely over much of eastern Massachusetts.
Bostonians trudging through the snow on the right and on the left Boston city hall behid the snow bank.
Forecasts show snow beginning Sunday afternoon and continuing through Monday with periods of moderate to heavy snow possible, strong winds, and travel impacts across the region. Some forecasts are even calling for locally higher totals depending on the storm track. Snow could make roads difficult and travel slow as cold air persists around the region.
When winter weather threatens Boston, people talk about one storm above all others. The Blizzard of 1978 remains the cold-weather benchmark for this region and a reminder of just how brutal Nor’easters can be.
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The Blizzard of 1978
In early February 1978, a powerful Nor’easter stalled over New England and dropped massive snow totals from Connecticut to Maine. In Boston the storm dumped 27.1 inches of snow, one of the largest total snowfalls in city history, and brought winds gusting over 80 miles per hour that turned heavy snow into towering drifts. Roads became impassable. Highways were choked with abandoned vehicles. Public transit came to a standstill. Emergency crews and residents struggled for days just to move. The storm was deadly with nearly 100 fatalities reported across the Northeast as a result of the storm’s cold, wind, and conditions during and after the snow.
Coastal flooding battered shoreline communities during the storm. Boston Harbor and other tidal areas were overwhelmed as wind and surge pushed water inland while snow piled up behind it. This combination of wind, snow, and water made the 1978 storm one of the most severe in New England’s modern weather record.
This Weekend
Saturday and Sunday will be cold across the region, with temperatures well below normal and wind chills dropping sharply. Boston city officials are preparing for winter conditions and reminding residents to stay warm and ready. Mayor Michelle Wu said city departments are prepared to keep streets, neighbors, and communities safe through the season and asked residents to take personal precautions as temperatures fall and winter weather arrives.
“We have to be ready for a major snowstorm or for flooding at a moment’s notice,” Wu said in December while outlining the city’s winter preparation plans. She also reminded residents to check on one another and clear snow safely around hydrants and sidewalks.
This weekend’s storm forecast will not rival the scale of the Blizzard of 1978, but it has the potential to disrupt travel, slow commutes, and remind New Englanders what heavy snow can do when cold air and moisture collide. Snow totals of 6 inches or more would make this a notable storm for winter 2026, especially given the Arctic cold that will make cleanup sluggish and street conditions sticky.
