Extreme temperatures, windchills and heavy snowfalls have threatened holiday travel plans for millions of Americans. A developing “bomb cyclone” is also expected to impact more than 50 million people across northern America, including Washington state and Maryland. The National Weather Services (NWS) warned that this number could grow in the coming days.
A “bomb cyclone” or bombogenesis phenomenon occurs when “a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters,” according to the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website. While weather experts simply refer to a “rapidly strengthening storm” as a bomb cyclone, the scientific criteria are specific. The agency says that the phenomenon occurs “when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars (a term used to measure atmospheric pressure) over 24 hours.”
While bomb cyclones, or bombogenesis, are more common in northwestern parts of the United States, this time, the phenomenon is expected to be witnessed in the plains too. “Some of the parameters of this intense storm are climatologically off the charts,” the NWS’ New York office said, according to The Guardian.
Experts at the NWS’ Weather Prediction Center said Tuesday that chilling temperatures were recorded in states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana.
Officials in the Twin Cities Branch of Minnesota said that “travel will be very dangerous and could be life-threatening” and warned of blizzard conditions. Winds could reach up to 40-50 mph later this week, according to a social media post.
Areas of New York, Maine, Vermont and New England have already been impacted by severe weather over the weekend. Power outages were reported from more than 200,000 homes and businesses across these states, according to The Guardian.
Western states also experienced similar conditions. Seattle had major storms and heavy snowfall over the weekend. NWS officials reported that more than 18 inches of snowfall was recorded in the Olympic and Cascade mountains area.
Southern states will also face extreme temperatures. Florida is expected to see experience frigid conditions over the weekend. Meanwhile, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city will be opening up warming centers “before the freezing weather reaches the Houston area.”
“People need to prepare for a hard freeze Friday and Saturday,” Turner said, according to CBS affiliate KHOU 11.
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