Delhi, India: A looming winter storm threatened to disrupt travel plans for millions of Americans on Thursday, as a dangerously frigid arctic air mass engulfed a large portion of the United States ahead of what could be one of the coldest Christmas Days on record.
The impending storm was anticipated to bring blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes region, up to 2 inches (5 cm) of rain, flash freeze on the East Coast, wind gusts of 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), and bitter cold as far south as the Mexican border heading into the holiday weekend.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a weather phenomenon known as a bomb cyclone was anticipated to develop from a "rapidly deepening low-pressure" system as the storm took shape over the Great Lakes on Thursday.
What is a "bomb cyclone"? A bomb cyclone, also known as an explosive cyclogenesis, is a meteorological phenomenon that takes place when the atmospheric pressure of a low-pressure system drops quickly and dramatically. Strong winds accompany this rapid drop in pressure, which can result in severe weather like heavy snowfall, strong winds, and thunderstorms.
Bomb cyclones typically occur in the winter, but they can also occur in other seasons. Mid-latitude regions like the eastern United States, Europe, and Asia are where they are most prevalent.
When a low-pressure system passes over a region with very cold air, bomb cyclones form. The rapid decrease in air pressure is caused by the cold air moving over the system. As air rushes in to fill the low-pressure region as a result of this rapid drop in pressure, it can cause strong winds. Depending on the air temperature in the region, bomb cyclones can also bring heavy precipitation, such as snow or rain.
Bomb cyclones can be very dangerous because they can bring strong winds and a lot of snow, making it hard to get around and making it hard to do things every day. Additionally, they may cause infrastructure damage and power outages.
People should be ready for bomb cyclones and follow any advisories or warnings issued by meteorological agencies. Staying inside, avoiding travel, and carrying an emergency supply kit are all examples of this.
The National Weather Service (NWS) informed people in Fort Worth, Texas, that the cold snap was not expected to be as devastating as the one in February of last year, when freezing temperatures cut off power to millions of people in the Lone Star State and killed dozens.
The coldest Christmas ever?
According to the NWS, wind chill values as low as 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 40 degrees Celsius) were anticipated in the Great Basin, northern Rockies, and High Plains due to the arctic cold. Without adequate protection, exposure to such conditions can result in frostbite in minutes.
According to a meteorologist with the weather service, more than half of the Lower 48 states, from Washington state to Florida, were under winter weather alerts, including wind chill advisories affecting approximately 135 million people.
According to the weather service, Christmas Day could see temperatures close to record lows in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Plains.
On Sunday, the temperature was expected to fall to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 9 degrees Celsius) in Philadelphia, which was close to a low from 1943. Meanwhile, Sioux City, Iowa, could reach minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 26 degrees Celsius), breaking a record set in the 1980s.
The icy mass of air was moving south through central Oklahoma and northwestern Texas. On Thursday, temperatures were expected to drop to about 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 degrees Celsius). The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that temperatures in the Southeast and Southern Plains could drop below freezing for several days, but still be more than 30 degrees below normal.
Authorities were concerned about the possibility of power outages and advised people to take precautions to safeguard livestock, elderly and homeless individuals, and to postpone travel whenever possible.
Over 112 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home between Friday and January 2—102 million of them by car—according to the American Automobile Association's estimate. Due to the inclement weather expected in the coming days, authorities have advised caution.
The Government Avionics Organization cautioned that high breezes and weighty snow could postpone trips at significant air travel centers Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver.
According to a flight-tracking service, more than 3,000 US flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday have been canceled. These flights included nearly 1,000 departures and arrivals at two major Chicago airports.