The first major blizzard to hit the region in four years struck the northeastern United States Friday night. By Saturday afternoon, up to two feet of snow had blanketed Boston in what AccuWeather predicted could turn out to be the biggest snowstorm ever to hit the city; over 80,000 Massachusetts homes were without power; and airlines had canceled more than 5,000 U.S. flights, BBC reported.
Amtrak service along the Boston-to-Washington corridor was suspended or limited, and five states declared emergencies. Wind gusts of up to 75mph lashed parts of the coast.
The National Weather Service in Boston said travel "should be restricted to emergencies only" and that anyone who must travel should prepare for the possibility of becoming stranded, a warning that was echoed up and down the East Coast, The Associated Press reported.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to Business Insider, "Forecasters said [the storm is] developing bombogenesis conditions ... eventually leading to the formation of a bomb cyclone."
The New York Times explains that "the barometric pressure must drop by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours for a storm to be called a bomb cyclone." The drop in barometric pressure combined with the Earth's rotation create a cyclone that produces a nor'easter — a storm with winds coming from the northeast.
The storm is expected to subside by Sunday morning.
-
At least 800 dead in Afghanistan earthquakespeed read A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?Today's Big Question Over 100 people, including 27 girls at a summer camp, died in recent flooding
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
This Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be above averageUnder the radar Prepare for strong storms in the coming months
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
