MANCHESTER, NH – When you saw snow falling again Monday, did you react instinctively with that “here we go again” dread or joy of winter weather?
I went out on Monday morning to capture and preserve some images of what downtown Manchester looks like in a snowstorm. I labeled the photos Blizzard of 2026 then wondered what I should say to correctly define this past week’s weather. Was it a blizzard, a nor’easter or the more internet click-bait catchy term “bomb cyclone?”
Blizzard, Nor’easter or Bomb Cyclone?
Meriam Webster’s definition gave me the most leeway by defining blizzard as a “long severe snowstorm.” I liked the simplicity of that and I also remembered Rick Gordon’s Monday weather alert to us:
“Get ready for an epic winter wonderland! A blizzard Nor’easter is blowing in today! Snow is expected, accompanied by gusty winds at times.” ~Rick Gordon
And yes, the snow arrived, there were gusty winds at time followed by periods of calm and the City of Manchester crews along with local business owners worked hard to get and keep the streets and sidewalks open.
WMUR put together a nice list of snow totals for February 23, 2026 if you care about those types of numbers.
Bad Weather in New England
” If you hear that a nor’easter is headed your way, prepare for very bad weather. ” ~NOAA
And NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a whole page explaining the differences but they also net it out simply for kids (on their education page):
“If you hear that a nor’easter is headed your way, prepare for very bad weather. Nor’easters can produce heavy snow and blizzards, rain and flooding, and huge crashing waves.”
And so it goes, the snow that was falling as I started to write this has turned into sunshine this afternoon. Some things change. Headlines and keywords evolve with the times but one thing is certain:
New England weather, if you don’t like it, just wait a minute.
You can find an Instagram Reel with many more photos by clicking the image below:
