This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/us/winter-snow-bomb-cyclone.html
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 12 | Version 13 |
|---|---|
| ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Pummels Northeast, Whipping the East Coast With Snow and Bitter Cold | ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Pummels Northeast, Whipping the East Coast With Snow and Bitter Cold |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A powerful winter storm that had already pummeled the South whipped into the Northeast on Thursday, paralyzing much of the East Coast. | A powerful winter storm that had already pummeled the South whipped into the Northeast on Thursday, paralyzing much of the East Coast. |
| Strong winds were blowing snow at a sharp angle in New York and beyond, cloaking much of the region in a white haze. A huge tide drove icy waters into buildings in downtown Boston. Plows and salt trucks rumbled down streets, homeless shelters filled, schools and offices were closed and thousands of flights were canceled. | Strong winds were blowing snow at a sharp angle in New York and beyond, cloaking much of the region in a white haze. A huge tide drove icy waters into buildings in downtown Boston. Plows and salt trucks rumbled down streets, homeless shelters filled, schools and offices were closed and thousands of flights were canceled. |
| Some meteorologists have classified the storm as a “bomb cyclone” for its sharp drop in atmospheric pressure, and it has led to blizzard warnings in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia. | Some meteorologists have classified the storm as a “bomb cyclone” for its sharp drop in atmospheric pressure, and it has led to blizzard warnings in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia. |
| Here’s the latest: | Here’s the latest: |
| • Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York on Thursday morning declared a state of emergency for the southern part of the state, including Westchester County, New York City and Long Island. | • Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York on Thursday morning declared a state of emergency for the southern part of the state, including Westchester County, New York City and Long Island. |
| • Most of New York City was forecast to receive eight inches of snowfall, although Queens, and neighboring Nassau County, could get a few extra inches. Read more here from our reporters across the region. And New York Today is keeping track of the latest on travel conditions and school closures here. | |
| • The storm also shut down schools in Baltimore; Boston; Newark; New York; Philadelphia; Providence, R.I.; Virginia Beach; and Washington, among other places. Classes were also canceled in areas in the South that had seen snowfall and anticipated days of bitter cold. Some districts in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina closed schools for Thursday. | • The storm also shut down schools in Baltimore; Boston; Newark; New York; Philadelphia; Providence, R.I.; Virginia Beach; and Washington, among other places. Classes were also canceled in areas in the South that had seen snowfall and anticipated days of bitter cold. Some districts in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina closed schools for Thursday. |
| • The storm’s race up the East Coast — through some of the busiest air traffic corridors in the country — prompted airlines to cancel nearly 4,000 flights by Thursday afternoon, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking website. Nationwide, airlines have already scratched plans for more than 600 flights on Friday. | |
| • Tens of thousands of customers, mostly in Virginia, were without power on Thursday morning, and even in places where electricity was mostly flowing, officials feared the consequences of frigid temperatures that will linger for days. | • Tens of thousands of customers, mostly in Virginia, were without power on Thursday morning, and even in places where electricity was mostly flowing, officials feared the consequences of frigid temperatures that will linger for days. |
| • With heating units in homes and commercial buildings running furiously to fend off the deep freeze, power companies have warned of possible fuel shortages to come. Read more here. | • With heating units in homes and commercial buildings running furiously to fend off the deep freeze, power companies have warned of possible fuel shortages to come. Read more here. |
| • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. | • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. |
| A three-foot tidal surge pushed floodwaters into the Long Wharf area of downtown Boston, turning one of the city’s popular tourist destinations into a slushy mess filled with flashing fire trucks and a red inflatable raft. The water flowed into buildings and down the steps of the Aquarium mass transit station, and firefighters rescued one person from a car trapped in the water nearly up to its doorhandles, according to Joseph Finn, the commissioner of the Boston Fire Department. | A three-foot tidal surge pushed floodwaters into the Long Wharf area of downtown Boston, turning one of the city’s popular tourist destinations into a slushy mess filled with flashing fire trucks and a red inflatable raft. The water flowed into buildings and down the steps of the Aquarium mass transit station, and firefighters rescued one person from a car trapped in the water nearly up to its doorhandles, according to Joseph Finn, the commissioner of the Boston Fire Department. |
| “This is the first time I’ve ever seen the water come this high in the downtown area,” Commissioner Finn said, as the flooded roads turned slushy behind him and the wind whipped heavy snow through the air. | “This is the first time I’ve ever seen the water come this high in the downtown area,” Commissioner Finn said, as the flooded roads turned slushy behind him and the wind whipped heavy snow through the air. |
| Commissioner Finn said firefighters were inspecting flooded buildings to see which ones could pose a fire risk. He said firefighters had made a small number of additional rescues in coastal areas of the city, helping people out of stranded cars in the icy water. | Commissioner Finn said firefighters were inspecting flooded buildings to see which ones could pose a fire risk. He said firefighters had made a small number of additional rescues in coastal areas of the city, helping people out of stranded cars in the icy water. |
| “The tough part of this is it’s going to repeat itself at 12:30 tonight,” Commissioner Finn said, referring to the next high tide. | “The tough part of this is it’s going to repeat itself at 12:30 tonight,” Commissioner Finn said, referring to the next high tide. |
| To the north, in Salem, Mass., Capt. Conrad Prosniewski said several houses there had been flooded, forcing people to leave their homes, and added that emergency officials had rescued a few stranded motorists who drove into flooded areas. | To the north, in Salem, Mass., Capt. Conrad Prosniewski said several houses there had been flooded, forcing people to leave their homes, and added that emergency officials had rescued a few stranded motorists who drove into flooded areas. |
| “It’s an astronomical high tide, and then we’re adding a couple feet of storm surge,” said Chris Miller, the harbormaster in Brewster, Mass., on Cape Cod, where part of Highway 6A, a main artery through the Cape, was overtopped by water and closed on Thursday. Mr. Miller added, “This storm happens to be hitting when the tides are extremely high.” | “It’s an astronomical high tide, and then we’re adding a couple feet of storm surge,” said Chris Miller, the harbormaster in Brewster, Mass., on Cape Cod, where part of Highway 6A, a main artery through the Cape, was overtopped by water and closed on Thursday. Mr. Miller added, “This storm happens to be hitting when the tides are extremely high.” |
| Boston Common was almost silent as it began to fill with snow on Thursday, enveloped in a white haze interrupted only by the odd spray of Christmas lights or a solitary silhouette walking through the park. Ten to 16 inches of snow were forecast during the day, with another 1 to 3 inches possible in the evening. The city’s streets were largely empty, too, suggesting many drivers had heeded Gov. Charlie Baker’s advice to stay off the roads and work from home if they could. | Boston Common was almost silent as it began to fill with snow on Thursday, enveloped in a white haze interrupted only by the odd spray of Christmas lights or a solitary silhouette walking through the park. Ten to 16 inches of snow were forecast during the day, with another 1 to 3 inches possible in the evening. The city’s streets were largely empty, too, suggesting many drivers had heeded Gov. Charlie Baker’s advice to stay off the roads and work from home if they could. |
| But some workers here did not have that option, despite the authorities’ dire warnings. Bitalina Diaz, 38, rode the Orange Line toward her job cleaning offices in downtown Boston, with her pants tucked into her boots and her hood up to buffet the effects of the chilly wind. | But some workers here did not have that option, despite the authorities’ dire warnings. Bitalina Diaz, 38, rode the Orange Line toward her job cleaning offices in downtown Boston, with her pants tucked into her boots and her hood up to buffet the effects of the chilly wind. |
| “I hope I can get a train back,” Ms. Diaz said. “I don’t know what happens — it’s a lot of snow.” | “I hope I can get a train back,” Ms. Diaz said. “I don’t know what happens — it’s a lot of snow.” |
| In New York, six inches of snow had piled up in parts of Brooklyn and Queens by noon, while sections of Long Island were coated in nine inches. Wind gusts topped 40 miles per hour in the city and neared 60 miles per hour on Long Island. | |
| The storm stopped flights at La Guardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, canceled trains, slowed traffic to a crawl and sent squalls of snow flying into underground subway stations and through the corridors between Manhattan skyscrapers. | |
| The National Weather Service updated its forecast to predict eight inches of snow in New York City and 15 inches on the eastern end of Long Island. The region braced for nights ahead of toe-numbing cold, with Mayor Bill de Blasio saying it could feel like minus 20 degrees on Friday and Saturday nights with the wind chill. Read more here. | |
| The first plows were out before 6 a.m. in Asbury Park, N.J., scraping at pavement in a cloud of wind-whipped snow that funneled horizontally down Ocean Avenue and the Boardwalk like a powdery fog, making a blurry watercolor of the waterfront and its street lamps. | The first plows were out before 6 a.m. in Asbury Park, N.J., scraping at pavement in a cloud of wind-whipped snow that funneled horizontally down Ocean Avenue and the Boardwalk like a powdery fog, making a blurry watercolor of the waterfront and its street lamps. |
| Michelle Ramos insisted on driving her husband, Rogelio Perez, to his job in nearby Wall Township at Fire Hooks Unlimited, a small manufacturer and distributor of firefighter and emergency services supplies. | Michelle Ramos insisted on driving her husband, Rogelio Perez, to his job in nearby Wall Township at Fire Hooks Unlimited, a small manufacturer and distributor of firefighter and emergency services supplies. |
| “He can’t stay home; he’ll drive me crazy,” Ms. Ramos, 46, said on her way back to Asbury Park at around 7 a.m., stopping at a QuickChek convenience store on Main Street in Bradley Beach to pick up coffee, bread and a few other staples. | “He can’t stay home; he’ll drive me crazy,” Ms. Ramos, 46, said on her way back to Asbury Park at around 7 a.m., stopping at a QuickChek convenience store on Main Street in Bradley Beach to pick up coffee, bread and a few other staples. |
| Ms. Ramos, describing herself as both “the driver” and “the head of the household,” was preparing to spend the rest of Thursday at home with her children and grandchildren, a group of six ranging in age from 2 to 28. She planned to clean up around the house a bit, and make a pot of stewed chicken and rice. | Ms. Ramos, describing herself as both “the driver” and “the head of the household,” was preparing to spend the rest of Thursday at home with her children and grandchildren, a group of six ranging in age from 2 to 28. She planned to clean up around the house a bit, and make a pot of stewed chicken and rice. |
| Ms. Ramos said that whether or not her husband’s workplace was open today, “He would have to show up, because if not he won’t get paid for the day.” | Ms. Ramos said that whether or not her husband’s workplace was open today, “He would have to show up, because if not he won’t get paid for the day.” |
| She added that he was on his own for the ride back. “He can get home whenever,” Ms. Ramos quipped. | She added that he was on his own for the ride back. “He can get home whenever,” Ms. Ramos quipped. |
| Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said two men died when a pickup truck overturned in an icy creek in Moore County, and a third death has been reported in Beaufort County. | Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said two men died when a pickup truck overturned in an icy creek in Moore County, and a third death has been reported in Beaufort County. |
| “We still don’t know the full effects at this time, but we do know that the winds out there have been ferocious,” Mr. Cooper said on Thursday, urging North Carolinians to stay home. High winds and low temperatures have kept crews from clearing many of the roads. | “We still don’t know the full effects at this time, but we do know that the winds out there have been ferocious,” Mr. Cooper said on Thursday, urging North Carolinians to stay home. High winds and low temperatures have kept crews from clearing many of the roads. |
| State troopers have received more than 1,000 calls since the storm started, more than 700 of which were related to car crashes. | State troopers have received more than 1,000 calls since the storm started, more than 700 of which were related to car crashes. |
| Overnight, about 20,000 people in North Carolina were without power, but that number was down to about 6,500 by Thursday morning. | Overnight, about 20,000 people in North Carolina were without power, but that number was down to about 6,500 by Thursday morning. |
| The Weather Service said cities along the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay could get about a foot of snow, and the Virginia Department of Transportation said more than 600 roads had been affected. | The Weather Service said cities along the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay could get about a foot of snow, and the Virginia Department of Transportation said more than 600 roads had been affected. |
| “Virginians should keep a close watch on the local weather forecast and stay off roads during this weather event unless travel is absolutely necessary,” the governor’s office said in a statement on Thursday, one day after Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared an emergency for the commonwealth. | “Virginians should keep a close watch on the local weather forecast and stay off roads during this weather event unless travel is absolutely necessary,” the governor’s office said in a statement on Thursday, one day after Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared an emergency for the commonwealth. |
| The Port of Virginia was closed to inbound and outbound traffic, and rail and air services were canceled or delayed. The state said National Guard troops were on standby to help move emergency officials through deep snow in the Hampton Roads region, which includes Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach and is home to more than 1.7 million people. | The Port of Virginia was closed to inbound and outbound traffic, and rail and air services were canceled or delayed. The state said National Guard troops were on standby to help move emergency officials through deep snow in the Hampton Roads region, which includes Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach and is home to more than 1.7 million people. |
| The area is not expected to inch above freezing temperatures until Sunday — and even then, the high will be only 33 degrees, according to the Weather Service. | The area is not expected to inch above freezing temperatures until Sunday — and even then, the high will be only 33 degrees, according to the Weather Service. |
| Temperatures are expected to dip into the single digits on Thursday night, and wind chills could hit minus 7. | Temperatures are expected to dip into the single digits on Thursday night, and wind chills could hit minus 7. |
| In Washington, the National Weather Service predicted a Thursday high of 28 degrees, with winds gusting to 40 m.p.h. Temperatures are not expected to reach the 40s — maybe — until Monday. | |
| In Maine, where the Weather Service issued a warning for hurricane-force winds along the coast, residents were taking the harsh wintry conditions in stride. | In Maine, where the Weather Service issued a warning for hurricane-force winds along the coast, residents were taking the harsh wintry conditions in stride. |
| Mish Sommers, 46, who lives in Lincolnville, Me., went for a run Thursday in whiteout conditions with ice cleats on her shoes. “Probably should have run in snowshoes,” she said. | Mish Sommers, 46, who lives in Lincolnville, Me., went for a run Thursday in whiteout conditions with ice cleats on her shoes. “Probably should have run in snowshoes,” she said. |
| She said she loved being part of the stillness outdoors. “What happens when the snow falls with this kind of intensity, it gets so quiet,” she said. “There’s a very hushed sense of everything being so gentle around us.” | She said she loved being part of the stillness outdoors. “What happens when the snow falls with this kind of intensity, it gets so quiet,” she said. “There’s a very hushed sense of everything being so gentle around us.” |
| Cooper Funk, 38, a vegetable farmer, in Camden, Me., who is a fifth-generation Californian, said the he was worried about the wind, which was roaring around his house at more than 40 miles per hour, though his high tunnels, or hoop houses, where he grows his vegetables, were still standing. | Cooper Funk, 38, a vegetable farmer, in Camden, Me., who is a fifth-generation Californian, said the he was worried about the wind, which was roaring around his house at more than 40 miles per hour, though his high tunnels, or hoop houses, where he grows his vegetables, were still standing. |
| When discussing the storm, some weather forecasters have referred to a “bomb cyclone.” Calling it a bomb sounds dire, but such storms are not exceedingly rare — there was one in New England recently. | When discussing the storm, some weather forecasters have referred to a “bomb cyclone.” Calling it a bomb sounds dire, but such storms are not exceedingly rare — there was one in New England recently. |
| What makes a storm a bomb is how fast the atmospheric pressure falls; falling atmospheric pressure is a characteristic of all storms. By definition, the barometric pressure must drop by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours for a storm to be called a bomb cyclone; the formation of such a storm is called bombogenesis. | What makes a storm a bomb is how fast the atmospheric pressure falls; falling atmospheric pressure is a characteristic of all storms. By definition, the barometric pressure must drop by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours for a storm to be called a bomb cyclone; the formation of such a storm is called bombogenesis. |
| Here is how it works: Deep drops in barometric pressure occur when a region of warm air meets one of cold air. The air starts to move, and the rotation of the Earth creates a cyclonic effect. The direction is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (when viewed from above), leading to winds that come out of the northeast — a nor’easter. | Here is how it works: Deep drops in barometric pressure occur when a region of warm air meets one of cold air. The air starts to move, and the rotation of the Earth creates a cyclonic effect. The direction is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (when viewed from above), leading to winds that come out of the northeast — a nor’easter. |
| That’s what happened at the end of October, when warm air from the remnants of a tropical cyclone over the Atlantic collided with a cold front coming from the Midwest. Among other effects then, more than 80,000 customers in Maine lost power as high winds toppled trees. | That’s what happened at the end of October, when warm air from the remnants of a tropical cyclone over the Atlantic collided with a cold front coming from the Midwest. Among other effects then, more than 80,000 customers in Maine lost power as high winds toppled trees. |
| A similar effect was occurring Wednesday, as warm air over the ocean met extremely cold polar air that had descended over the East. Pressure was expected to fall quickly from Florida northward. | A similar effect was occurring Wednesday, as warm air over the ocean met extremely cold polar air that had descended over the East. Pressure was expected to fall quickly from Florida northward. |
| Some scientists studying the connection between climate change and cold spells, which occur when cold Arctic air dips south, say that they may be related. But the importance of the relationship is not fully clear yet. | Some scientists studying the connection between climate change and cold spells, which occur when cold Arctic air dips south, say that they may be related. But the importance of the relationship is not fully clear yet. |
| The Arctic is not as cold as it used to be — the region is warming faster than any other — and studies suggest that this warming is weakening the jet stream, which ordinarily acts like a giant lasso, corralling cold air around the pole. | The Arctic is not as cold as it used to be — the region is warming faster than any other — and studies suggest that this warming is weakening the jet stream, which ordinarily acts like a giant lasso, corralling cold air around the pole. |
| The reason a direct connection between cold weather and global warming is still up for debate, scientists say, is that there are many other factors involved. Ocean temperatures in the tropics, soil moisture, snow cover, even the long-term natural variability of large ocean systems all can influence the jet stream. Read more here. | The reason a direct connection between cold weather and global warming is still up for debate, scientists say, is that there are many other factors involved. Ocean temperatures in the tropics, soil moisture, snow cover, even the long-term natural variability of large ocean systems all can influence the jet stream. Read more here. |
| When temperatures dip into the 30s and 40s, Floridians know to be on the lookout for reptiles stunned — but not necessarily killed — by the cold. They can come back to life again in the warmth. | When temperatures dip into the 30s and 40s, Floridians know to be on the lookout for reptiles stunned — but not necessarily killed — by the cold. They can come back to life again in the warmth. |
| In Boca Raton, Frank Cerabino, a Palm Beach Post columnist familiar with the creatures, stepped outside and saw a bright green specimen by his pool on Thursday morning, feet up. | In Boca Raton, Frank Cerabino, a Palm Beach Post columnist familiar with the creatures, stepped outside and saw a bright green specimen by his pool on Thursday morning, feet up. |
| “He didn’t move,” Mr. Cerabino said. “But he’s probably still alive. My experience is that they take a while to die.” Read more here. | “He didn’t move,” Mr. Cerabino said. “But he’s probably still alive. My experience is that they take a while to die.” Read more here. |
| Across the South, many people reveled in their rare taste of winter. In Wilmington, N.C., most people didn’t expect to get any snow this year, but more than three inches fell on Thursday, according to the Wilmington Star-News. | |
| “We love it; we love having it actually be winter in the South and we love the Southern version of a sled: a boogie board,” Rachel Baldwin told the newspaper. | “We love it; we love having it actually be winter in the South and we love the Southern version of a sled: a boogie board,” Rachel Baldwin told the newspaper. |
| In Fredericksburg, Va., dozens of onlookers called the police to report that three swans had been hemmed in by ice on a pond, but were relieved to learn they weren’t frozen — they were just fake, according to the Free Lance-Star. | In Fredericksburg, Va., dozens of onlookers called the police to report that three swans had been hemmed in by ice on a pond, but were relieved to learn they weren’t frozen — they were just fake, according to the Free Lance-Star. |
| And the police in Greenville, N.C., said they caught two men who had broken into cars on Wednesday by tracking their footprints in the snow. | And the police in Greenville, N.C., said they caught two men who had broken into cars on Wednesday by tracking their footprints in the snow. |