- A winter storm is forecast to slam the East Coast this week, bringing snow and freezing weather from Florida to Maine.
- The storm's central pressure is expected to drop to about 950 millibars, which is equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.
- The region is expected to be slapped with an Arctic air mass on Saturday to plunge temperatures to below zero in New York City.
The East Coast will probably get even more frigid before the end of this cold snap, at least if current weather models hold true.
A "cold-weather bomb" is bearing down on the East Coast, and it could bring heavy snowfall and record-breaking freezing temperatures.
Winter-storm warnings have been issued from Florida up to Maine, though the storm's effects will depend on which way it tracks. As of now, it's looking pretty daunting for the Northeast.
What is a 'weather bomb'?
This isn't hyperbole — a "weather bomb," or "bombogenesis," is the term used by meteorologists for this kind of storm system. The phenomenon gets this ominous label when the central pressure of a low-pressure system drops at least 24 millibars (a unit for measuring atmospheric pressure) within 24 hours.
Bombogenesis occurs when cold, continental air masses meet warm, moisture-rich oceanic air. That can create high winds and heavy precipitation, according to The Weather Channel.
The storm working its way up the East Coast is expected to exceed the standard bombogenesis rate by several millibars and drop to a minimum pressure of about 950 millibars — equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. (Hurricane Sandy, which devastated New York City and the New Jersey coast in 2012, had a minimum pressure of 946 millibars when it made landfall.)
Meteorologists consider air pressure to be a measure of a storm's intensity, meaning this could be one of the strongest winter storms ever to hit the East Coast — at least on record.
This GIF shows the projected pressure lows off the coast of New York and New England on Thursday afternoon, based on current models from the interactive forecast site Windy:
Current models show the storm creeping up the East Coast, bringing high winds, heavy snowfall, and the potential for coastal flooding. It's expected to dump 3 inches of snow on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Tuesday evening, a phenomenon not seen since 2010. Even Jacksonville, Florida, is expected to see some snowfall on Wednesday.
By Thursday, if the storm track holds, a combination of heavy snowfall and high winds will create blizzard conditions that could dump over a foot of snow in much of southern New England, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland, according to Mashable's Andrew Freedman. People as far southwest as Dallas aren't expected to see temperatures above freezing for the next few days.
This shows the projected wind circulation on Thursday afternoon:
After the snow, a deep freeze
New Yorkers — who just lived through one of the most frigid New Year's Eves of the past century — may also see blizzard-like conditions if the storm shifts about 50 miles west. The National Weather Service expects New York to receive 2 to 4 inches of snow on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Following the storm, temperatures are expected to plunge precipitously.
An Arctic air mass over Canada's Hudson Bay creeping south, drawn in by the massive air circulation in the storm's wake, could bring temperatures in New York City to the single digits this weekend and well below zero on Saturday evening.
Though it may seem counterintuitive, New Yorkers should hope for heavy snowfall.
Gary Szatkowski, a meteorologist, explained on Twitter that even a couple of inches of snow can serve as infrastructure insulation, protecting water pipes and subway tracks from extreme cold. Without that snow, water pipes can freeze or burst, which could then knock out power and create a cascade of damage that would make commutes (not to mention life in general) a bit miserable.
Despite what President Donald Trump has claimed on Twitter, winter storms — just like hurricanes and heat waves — can be made more severe by climate change. As the White House and Congress gear up to take on infrastructure this year, that's probably a threat they should keep in mind.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Never scrape ice off your windshield again with this special screen