2026 winter storms in US have killed more than 150 in just over a month

Huge snowfall, high winds and frigid cold in 2026 winter storms are blamed for more than 150 deaths.

The three-month meteorological winter that ends with February saw a particularly deadly span of storms and heavy snow, claiming at least 150 lives in the United States over just 32 days.

Hypothermia, snow shoveling, motor vehicle accidents and recreational activities were among the leading causes of death during 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 in an essay for TheConversation.com after 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."

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, where more than 3 feet of snow fell in 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.