Philadelphia snowstorm brings over 16 inches, ranks among largest in recent years
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful winter storm swept through the Philadelphia region from Sunday, Feb. 22 into Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, dumping more than a foot of snow in many neighborhoods and bringing blizzard-like conditions to some areas.
As residents dig out, many are comparing this latest storm to the city’s most historic snowfalls.
Comparing Feb. 2026 snowstorm to Philadelphia’s biggest blizzards
What we know:
The National Weather Service reported more than 16 inches of snow in parts of the region by Monday morning, with Bucks County towns like Langhorne and Richboro seeing as much as 22 inches.
Northeast Philadelphia measured 16 inches, while Fox Chase and Roxborough each saw nearly 15 inches.
Winter storm snow totals and more systems on the way | 5 p.m. forecast
FOX 29 Meteorologist Kathy Orr breaks down the reported snow totals as of 5:30 p.m. after the overnight storm. Plus, two more systems are on the way.
Philadelphia International Airport reported 14 inches.
What they're saying:
Drifting snow and strong winds made it difficult to measure totals in some spots, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm began Sunday afternoon and continued through the night, with snow tapering off from west to east Monday afternoon.
While this storm brought the most snow Philadelphia has seen in years, it did not break the city’s all-time records.
The Blizzard of January 1996 remains the largest, with 30.7 inches recorded across the city. Other major storms include February 2010 (28.5 inches), December 2009 (23.2 inches), and January 2016 (22.4 inches).
The biggest snowstorms in Philadelphia history
What are the biggest snowstorms in Philadelphia area history?
Could this weekend's snowstorm make history? It's still unclear how much will actually fall, but it's been years since the Philadelphia region's last record-setting snow.
By the numbers:
• January 6–8, 1996: 30.7 inches
• February 5–6, 2010: 28.5 inches
• December 19–20, 2009: 23.2 inches
• January 22–23, 2016: 22.4 inches
• February 11–12, 1983: 21.3 inches
• December 25–26, 1909: 21 inches
Local perspective:
Many Philadelphia residents woke up Monday to snowdrifts and buried cars, but longtime locals remember even bigger storms.
The 1996 blizzard shut down the city and led to emergency snow dumping in local rivers. In recent years, storms of this magnitude have been rare, with the last major blizzard in 2016.
This weekend’s storm brought some of the highest snow totals in Bucks County, with Langhorne and Richboro each reporting more than 22 inches.
Northeast Philadelphia and surrounding neighborhoods saw between 12 and 16 inches, while other parts of the region, including New Jersey and Delaware, also saw significant snowfall.
The backstory:
Philadelphia’s history of major snowstorms stretches back more than a century.
The city’s biggest storms have often arrived in January or February, with the 1996 and 2010 blizzards standing out for their intensity and impact. While this latest storm was significant, it fell short of those historic marks.
What's next:
Cleanup efforts are underway across the region, and residents are urged to use caution on roads and sidewalks.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear if this storm will rank among the top five all-time snowfalls for some Philadelphia suburbs, as final totals are still being collected.
The full impact on travel and city services is also still being assessed.
The Source: Information from the FOX 29 Weather Team, the National Weather Service, and previous FOX 29 reporting.