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‘Bomb Cyclone’ Pummels Northeast, Whipping the East Coast With Snow and Bitter Cold ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Torments Northeast, Whipping the East Coast With Snow and Bitter Cold
(about 3 hours later)
In Boston, the highest tide in nearly 40 years flooded a subway station near the New England Aquarium. Pipes cracked from New Jersey to North Carolina. Even Florida’s iguanas found themselves stunned by the cold. In Boston, one of the highest tides on record flooded a subway station near the New England Aquarium. Pipes cracked from New Jersey to North Carolina. Even Florida’s iguanas found themselves stunned by the cold.
From the Spanish moss-canopied sidewalks of Savannah, Ga., to icy villages in coastal Maine, emergency officials reckoned with the rages, whims and remains of a storm that shut down schools for more than a million children, flooded roadways, filled homeless shelters and forced the cancellations of thousands of flights.From the Spanish moss-canopied sidewalks of Savannah, Ga., to icy villages in coastal Maine, emergency officials reckoned with the rages, whims and remains of a storm that shut down schools for more than a million children, flooded roadways, filled homeless shelters and forced the cancellations of thousands of flights.
Yet the storm, notable for a steep drop in atmospheric pressure that prompted some forecasters to describe it as a “bomb cyclone,” was but one act in a prolonged run of misery that has already enveloped millions of people in a wintry torment of Arctic air and snow-blown streets. Yet the storm, notable for a steep drop in atmospheric pressure that prompted some forecasters to describe it as a “bomb cyclone,” was but one act in a prolonged run of misery that had already enveloped millions of people in a wintry torment of Arctic air and snow-blown streets.
Here’s the latest:Here’s the latest:
• Wind chills are expected to repeatedly plunge below zero in some areas for the next several days, at least, and utility companies scrambled Thursday to restore electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Read more on how power companies have warned of possible fuel shortages to come. • Wind chills are expected to repeatedly plunge below zero in some areas, especially in New England, for the next several days. As the storm left most of the East Coast behind on Thursday, utility companies scrambled to restore electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Read more on how power companies have warned of possible fuel shortages to come.
• Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said Thursday morning that two men had died when a pickup truck overturned in an icy creek in Moore County, and that a third death had been reported in Beaufort County. By Thursday afternoon, The Associated Press had also reported one death in South Carolina and another in Philadelphia.
• All along the Eastern Seaboard, roads — iced-over, snow-covered or slush-filled — were treacherous on Thursday and likely to remain that way for a few days. Some states, including New York, imposed restrictions on some roads and limited truck travel.• All along the Eastern Seaboard, roads — iced-over, snow-covered or slush-filled — were treacherous on Thursday and likely to remain that way for a few days. Some states, including New York, imposed restrictions on some roads and limited truck travel.
• The storm’s path through some of the busiest air travel corridors in the country prompted airlines to cancel more than 4,000 flights, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking website. Carriers have already abandoned plans for more than 600 flights on Friday. • The storm’s path through some of the busiest air travel corridors in the country prompted airlines to cancel more than 4,000 flights and delay 2,000 more by nightfall on Thursday according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking website. Carriers have already abandoned plans for more than 900 flights on Friday. Read more here.
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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. Boston’s Long Wharf area became a slushy mess when a three-foot tidal surge pushed floodwaters into buildings and down the steps of the Aquarium mass transit station. Firefighters rescued one person who was trapped in a car that had water nearly to its door handles.
“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,” Joseph Finn, the city’s fire commissioner, said as 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. Mr. Finn said emergency workers had made some other rescues in coastal areas of the city, helping people out of stranded cars in the icy water, and city officials said flooding had extended to other neighborhoods, including the Seaport, Dorchester and East Boston. Meteorologists said Thursday’s tides were some of the highest ever recorded in Boston.
“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. “We had a very high astronomical tide to begin with, and we’re looking basically at a three-foot storm surge on top of that,” said Hayden Frank, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s office in Taunton, Mass. “To get significant coastal flooding, you need to have the strongest winds at exactly the time of high tide, and that’s kind of what happened today.”
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. Earlier on Thursday, Boston Common was almost silent as it began to fill with snow early, cloaked in a white haze interrupted only by the odd spray of Christmas lights or a solitary silhouette walking through the park.
“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.” 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.
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. “I hope I can get a train back,” Ms. Diaz said. “It’s a lot of snow.”
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. As of early Thursday evening, parts of Boston had been hit with more than a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
“I hope I can get a train back,” Ms. Diaz said. “I don’t know what happens — it’s a lot of snow.” With 8 to 15 inches of snow already down in New York City and its suburbs, and another few inches still to come in eastern Long Island, the National Weather Service warned of continuing high winds and blowing snow through the night, followed by toe-numbing cold into the weekend. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that with the wind chill, it could feel like minus 20 degrees on Friday and Saturday nights.
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. On Thursday, Eric Taveras, 42, of the Bronx, stood outside the storied Plaza Hotel overlooking Central Park. Howling winds had already been blowing snow into his eyes.
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. “Once your feet get cold, your whole body is done,” said Mr. Taveras, who was among the workers facing the daunting task of shoveling the snow to keep people from slipping on the checkered floors outside the hotel.
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. Mr. Taveras said he could not wait to get home and be with his children. The city’s public schools were expected to reopen on Friday. Flights resumed at La Guardia Airport Thursday evening, but would not resume at Kennedy International Airport until 7 a.m. on Friday. 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. In Washington, the National Weather Service said Thursday’s high temperature reached just 27 degrees. Temperatures are not expected to reach the 40s — maybe — until Monday.
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. By Thursday afternoon, the black pavement on Pennsylvania Avenue was dulled under a thick layer of salt. A few blocks south on the National Mall, the American flags beside the World War II Memorial whipped in the wind as resolute tourists explored the monuments.
“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. “Our kids have never really seen snow before,” said John Weir of Miami, Fla., who was traveling with his wife, Sylvia, and their three children. All five were bundled and masked, exposing only their eyes.
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. Jordan Papa, from Auckland, New Zealand, slid around on the frozen Reflecting Pool with his partner, Jayda Tainui, as the couple bantered that they had heard the ice crack beneath them.
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.” “You see this pool in movies, and we just wanted to be able to say we’ve walked on it,” Ms. Tainui said.
She added that he was on his own for the ride back. “He can get home whenever,” Ms. Ramos quipped. In Maine, where the Weather Service had issued a warning until midnight Eastern for hurricane-force winds along the coast, residents were taking the harsh wintry conditions in stride.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 he was worried about the wind, which was roaring around his house at more than 40 miles per hour, though the greenhouse-like structures over 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 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 when it warms up.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.”
In Wilmington, N.C., most people did not expect to get any snow this year, but more than three inches fell on Thursday, according to the Wilmington Star-News. In the end, the iguana lived. Read more here.
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 were not 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.
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. Read more here.
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. Read more here.