Bomb Cyclone Brings Whiteout, Blizzard Conditions to Northeast US

The northeastern US was slammed by a powerful bomb cyclone this past weekend, dropping as much as three feet of snow in some areas of the region.

A bomb cyclone is a strong, mid-latitude storm that drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in under 24 hours– a process known as 'bombogenesis.' This system, named Winter Storm Hernando, achieved that 24-millibar drop in just nine hours, dropping a total of 40 millibars over just 12 hours. This meant that the storm wasn't just bringing snow– it was also bringing intense winds, reaching up to 60 mph and generating dangerous blizzard conditions.

The storm arrived in New Jersey first, dropping over 15 inches of wet, thick snow. Wet snow piles up significantly slower than powdery snow due to its higher water-to-ice ratio– wet snow has a ratio of around 5:1, while powdery snow can be 15:1, 20:1, or even higher. During Hernando, weather reporters confirmed that an incredible amount of snow was falling, and the snowfall's wetness allowed it to stick to all sorts of surfaces.

Wet snow is also extremely difficult to shovel due to its sticky properties– when it accumulates, the snow underneath can become compacted. This type of snow is also called 'heart-attack snow' because people shoveling it can experience heart attacks due to the increased cardiovascular stress it places on the body.

On top of the problems caused by the snow type, many cities experienced issues simply because of the sheer amount of snow that had fallen. More than 20 inches of snow fell in Central Park, with New York City as a whole picking up between 17 and 25 inches. Totals on Long Island also reached at least 15 inches, with areas on the south side of the island receiving higher totals– as high as 30 inches.

The coast of Connecticut received around 16-20 inches, but Massachusetts and Rhode Island were the hardest-hit. Boston received between 13 and 17 inches of snow, but southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island hit staggering totals of over 30 inches. Providence, Rhode Island, smashed their all-time record for most snowfall over a two-day period, confirming a total of 33 inches. According to the National Weather Service, the highest total was reported at the city's international airport, which recorded a staggering 37.9 inches of snow– more than three feet.

Travel was snarled across the New England region, with snow plows working all weekend to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that he would raise the pay for snow shovelers to $30 an hour due to the city's need, with Mamdani aiming to reopen schools and roadways today. However, Boston was not able to keep up with the snow, forcing the city to deploy all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to handle emergency situations.

Massachusetts also announced a travel ban for all non-essential traffic. Across the state, the heavy snowfall had caused trees to fall on roads, but low visibility due to the blowing snow prevented drivers from being able to see the situation in front of them.

Over 10,000 flights were canceled, and over 650,000 people lost power. Power crews are working to restore electricity as fast as possible, and they are already making progress.

However, conditions will remain dangerous over the next few days– as the snow melts, the layers underneath will refreeze, forming a thick layer of ice on most surfaces. Larger cities like New York City will resume normal operations today and tomorrow, but areas hit harder by the storm – like Providence and Boston – have confirmed that they may not be able to get back up and running until this weekend.

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