Meteorologist Pete NBC Boston reported bombogenesis underway with lightning erupting east of the low center at 11:15 PM UTC on February 22, 2026, during the one-hour reporting window from 10:45 PM to 11:45 PM UTC, intensifying the blizzard impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, as posted on X at https://x.com/PeteNBCBoston/status/2025707700403781702. This development builds on the Storm Prediction Center's Mesoscale Discussion 0114 issued earlier at 4:00 PM CST from Norman, Oklahoma, targeting blizzard conditions across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, according to the NWS SPC account on X. Bombogenesis, characterized by rapid low-pressure intensification, aligns with prior reports of extreme offshore features including 3+ inches per hour snowfall rates, thundersnow, and 75-90 mph sting jets east of the Delmarva Peninsula noted by meteorologist Matthew Cappucci around 6:00 PM UTC, as well as NWS Boston's forecast of 18-24 inches of snow with 55-75 mph gusts in southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
