Eastern U.S. faces possible ‘bomb cyclone’ of snow and wind

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The eastern United States, from Tennessee to New York, faces stronger winds and heavier snow overnight, likely causing the first bomb cyclone of the 2022 winter season in the region, forecasting service AccuWeather said on Thursday.

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Snow in Nashville

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FILE PHOTO: Snow falls during a winter storm on Capitol Hill in Washington

A bomb cyclone is an intense weather event in which the barometric pressure drops quickly, causing heavy precipitation and producing powerful winds.

The heaviest snow will move into Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee on Thursday night; up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) of snow are expected in the nation’s capital, the second snowstorm in a week.

New York City could see up to 6 inches (15.24 cm) of snow on Friday, Accuweather said. Winter storm warnings are in place along much of the Northeast coast, according to the National Weather Service, with the heavy snowfall expected as far north as Maine if the storm strengthens fast enough.

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FILE PHOTO: A couple embrace in the snow near the Washington Monument

“The farther north you go, the bigger the snow accumulations” AccuWeather’s Chief Video Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Earlier this week, a winter storm unleashed heavy snow and strong winds throughout much of the U.S. Southeast and mid-Atlantic, forcing schools to close, grounding airplanes and knocking out power for thousands of people.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Heather Timmons and Sandra Maler)