An Arctic blast sweeping across the eastern United States could break nearly 400 records as it brings below-freezing temperatures, according to America’s National Weather Service.
The “bomb cyclone” is forecast to impact New England and the Middle Atlantic region, including New York, Boston, and Washington, DC.
“Bomb” refers to the explosive power that these storms derive from rapid pressure drops.
Warmer ocean waters ‘are certainly playing a role in the strengthening of the storm system and increased moisture available for the storm,’ said Oklahoma University meteorology professor, Jason Furtado.
Two saving graces that make the storm less lethal are that its dry snow is less capable of snapping trees or tearing down power lines, and because it hit on a weekend, schools were closed and there were fewer commuters.
The treacherous conditions have already caused a plane to slide across the runway at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
The unusually cold air mass is a phenomenon known as a “Siberian Express”. It is predicted to bring temperatures 15 to 25 degrees below average for this time of year until Wednesday night.
The East Coast of the United States has seen flooding coastlines, the dumping of masses of snow, and power outages for thousands. The powerful storm dumped snow from Virginia to Maine.
The wind continued raging as over 100 000 people, mostly in Massachusetts, lost power, hindering crews from working on overhead lines.
Cape Cod in Massachusetts recorded winds as high as 134 kph, scouring the ground bare in some parts.
Iguanas have fallen from trees in Florida as the bitter cold surged south. The plunging temperatures cause them to stiffen up and lose their grip on branches. They usually warm up again in the sunshine and are unharmed.