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Exactly a decade after a blizzard buried McLean under more than 24 inches of snow, another major winter storm swept through the region on Jan. 25, 2026.

The latest storm brought more than a foot of snow to parts of the region, while McLean received about 8 to 10 inches. Snow began falling late Saturday night and started accumulating early Sunday morning before changing to heavy sleet and freezing rain for about five hours that afternoon.

The timing stirred memories of the Jan. 25, 2016, blizzard, which gave students an entire week away from school.

“This makes me really excited because in 2016, I remember having the whole week of school off, where I went outside every day and built igloos and had hot chocolate with my neighbors,” junior Leila Peleg said.

McLean School Resource Officer Michael Davis remembered working at the police station during the earlier storm.

“It was a ton of snow that we don’t usually get, and I had a good time working with my fellow police officers, shoveling the snow,” Davis said.

Schools and after-school activities were canceled for Monday, Jan. 26. The county planned to continue monitoring road conditions during the rest of the week.

Peleg hoped the storm would produce a repeat of her childhood snow break.

“I’m hoping that this miracle of snow will allow me to have another week [off] like the one I had when [I was seven years old],” she said.

Davis was also struck by the storms falling on the same date 10 years apart.

“I think it’s crazy that 10 years ago today we had a big snowfall, so history [is] kind of repeating itself,” Davis said. “I love it.”