East Coast ‘bomb cyclone’; cold eases this weekend in Minnesota
Some meteorologists call the rapid strengthening (24 millibars or more) of a low-pressure system "bomb cyclogenesis."
Simply put, bomb cyclogenesis is the formation of an "extratropical area of low pressure in which the central barometric pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours."
The nor'easter that's hitting the east coast of the United States today is a "bomb cyclone" that has intensified very rapidly:
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It has plenty of moisture to work with:
Here's a loop from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's newest weather satellite:
NOAA's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential snow and rain pattern as we go through Thursday and Thursday night:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of snow.
The NAM model indicates that some areas will see over 1 foot of snow:
Boston is among the areas in the heaviest snow band:
Parts of Long Island could see over 10 inches of snow:
Blizzard and winter storm warnings
A mix of blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings extends from North Carolina up through Maine.
Boston is among the areas under a blizzard warning:
Details of the blizzard warning for Boston:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Taunton MA
941 AM EST Thu Jan 4 2018
MAZ015-016-018>021-RIZ006-007-042245-
/O.CON.KBOX.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-180105T0000Z/
/O.CON.KBOX.WC.A.0001.180106T0000Z-180106T1900Z/
Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-Western Plymouth MA-
Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-Southern Plymouth MA-
Washington RI-Newport RI-
Including the cities of Boston, Quincy, Brockton, Plymouth,
Fall River, New Bedford, Mattapoisett, Narragansett, Westerly,
and Newport
941 AM EST Thu Jan 4 2018
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING...
...WIND CHILL WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON...
* WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected with blowing an drifting
snow. Very cold wind chills possible. Travel will be very
dangerous to impossible. Expect damage to trees and power lines
as well. Total snow accumulations of 8 to 14 inches, with
localized amounts up to 16 inches, are expected. Wind chills
could range from 10 below zero to 20 below zero.
* WHERE...Eastern and southeastern Massachusetts and southern
Rhode Island.
* WHEN...For the Blizzard Warning, through 7 PM EST this evening.
For the Wind Chill Watch, from Friday evening through Saturday
afternoon.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 65 mph will
cause whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Significant
drifting of the snow is likely. Cold wind chills as low as 20
below zero will cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to
exposed skin.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds
and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout
conditions, making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel. If
you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get
stranded, stay with your vehicle. The latest road conditions for
the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
A Wind Chill Watch means there is the potential for a combination
of very cold air and the wind to create dangerously low wind
chill values. Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for
updates on this situation.
Cold lingers in Minnesota
Our Thursday highs will be in the single digits above zero for most of Minnesota, with below-zero highs in parts of the far north.
Lows early Friday could reach the 20s below zero in the far north, with single digits below zero in the south:
Highs Friday will be in the single digits in most areas:
Highs reach double digits in most of Minnesota on Saturday:
On Sunday, southern and central Minnesota should see highs in the 20s.
Light snow chance
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential for some areas of light snow in southwestern and south-central Minnesota this Thursday:
It's expected to be a light dusting in areas that do see some flakes.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.