Bomb cyclone brings blizzards to the Midwest before turning east
An increasingly powerful cyclone slammed into the northern United States on Monday, triggering severe winter conditions in the Midwest as it targeted the East Coast.
The storm brought blizzard conditions, dangerous travel and widespread power outages to parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday as significantly colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain swept through.
How Bomb Cyclones Form and Create Dangerous Conditions
Forecasters said the storm intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria for a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops. The intense cold front left parts of the central United States waking up Monday to temperatures up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the day before.
All that wind and snow created “a pretty significant system, even for this part of the country,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. Forecasters expect the storm to intensify as it moves east, fueled by a violent clash between Canada’s frigid air and lingering heat in the southern United States.
Dangerous wind chills plunged to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. The National Weather Service warned of whiteout conditions starting Sunday that could make travel impossible in some areas.
In Iowa, blizzard conditions eased, but high winds still blew fallen snow onto roads, keeping more than 200 miles of Interstate 35 closed Monday morning. State troopers reported dozens of accidents during the storm, including one that killed one person.
The strong area of low pressure extending from the Great Lakes into southeastern Canada brought heavy snow to parts of Michigan on Monday, with powerful winds and intense lake effect expected across the Great Lakes to New York.
In Detroit, three tractor-trailers and about 20 other vehicles crashed on Interstate 75, injuring one person, said Diane Cross, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Transportation, as wind whipped freshly fallen snow into sudden gusts.
Nationwide, about 350,000 customers were without power as of Monday afternoon, more than a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us. Airports reported around 5,000 flight delays and around 700 cancellations.
Snow accumulated quickly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where up to 2 feet fell in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Ryan Metzger said additional snow was expected in the coming days, although totals would be much lighter.
Rain and a wintry mix fell further east in parts of the Northeast. Freezing rain was reported in parts of upstate New York, with the threat extending to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Forecasters warned that the ice could strain power lines and trees. Vermont State Police said they responded to 92 crashes overnight, three of which resulted in injuries.
On the West Coast, the National Weather Service warned that moderate to strong Santa Ana winds were expected in parts of Southern California through Tuesday, raising concerns about downed trees in areas where soils have been saturated by recent storms. Two more storms were forecast for later this week, with rain on New Year’s Day that could soak the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.
A weekend snowstorm hit Alaska’s Northern Panhandle with 15 to 40 inches, according to the National Weather Service, keeping the region under a winter storm warning Monday as Juneau braced for another 9 inches and possible freezing rain. City facilities were closed and road crews piled snow into towering berms, while communities farther south faced flooding from melting snow and heavy rains.
And in central Illinois, an EF1 tornado with peak winds of 98 mph damaged buildings and snapped utility poles on Sunday.
Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York; Corey Williams in Detroit; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed.
