New York City is bracing for another blast of winter, as a powerful bomb cyclone is forecast to bring up to 3 inches of snow and dangerously low wind chills starting Saturday night.
Stormy Skies Ahead: Bomb Cyclone Targets the Northeast
A rapidly intensifying winter storm threatens to disrupt travel and drive temperatures down across the region this weekend.
- A bomb cyclone, characterized by its rapid intensification, is headed for New York City.
- Snowfall totals could reach up to 3 inches, adding to the already substantial snowpack from earlier this week.
- Wind chills are expected to plummet into the single digits, and even below zero, creating hazardous conditions.
- While not as severe as last weekend’s storm, residents should prepare for blustery conditions and slippery roads.
The storm is expected to arrive Saturday night and linger through Sunday. This comes just days after the Northeast dug out from a significant snowfall that dumped more than a foot of snow on the region Sunday and Monday.
A “bomb cyclone” or bombogenesis refers to a weather pattern where a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. These storms typically form over the ocean and can bring blizzard conditions and damaging winds.
Frigid Temperatures and Dangerous Wind Chills
AccuWeather meteorologists caution that temperatures, already hovering between 14 and 24 degrees, will feel much colder due to strong winds. Wind chills could dip into the single digits and even below zero. “Regardless of the storm track, it will likely be a blustery day on Sunday, especially from the city on east and south,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Matt Benz.
Long Island is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with potential snowfall of up to 6 inches and the possibility of white-out conditions on the north and south forks.
While the forecast doesn’t call for conditions as severe as those experienced during Winter Storm Fern last weekend, residents should still prepare for potentially hazardous travel conditions. The storm is expected to move out by Sunday night. Looking ahead, temperatures will remain below freezing for much of next week, with the freezing point only expected to be exceeded by a single degree next Thursday, but forecasters are not anticipating any further significant snowfall.
