Washington, DC, January 29 (ANI): A powerful winter storm is expected to develop off the US East Coast this weekend and rapidly intensify into a bomb cyclone, potentially affecting parts of the Eastern Seaboard, CNN reported.
According to CNN, forecast models as of Wednesday indicate the storm will form off the coast of the Carolinas early Saturday and strengthen quickly enough to meet the criteria for a bomb cyclone. However, uncertainty remains over its exact track and intensity, which will determine which regions experience snowfall, strong winds, or coastal impacts.
Meteorologists cautioned that even a shift of 100 to 200 miles in the storm’s path could mean the difference between a major snowstorm for large East Coast cities and a weekend that is simply cold and breezy.
CNN reported that parts of the Carolinas and southern Virginia currently have the highest likelihood of experiencing significant snowfall and strong winds, regardless of the storm’s eventual track. Forecast confidence decreases farther north, although southeastern New England has a higher chance of wind-driven snow.
The network outlined three possible scenarios for the developing bomb cyclone.
In the most likely scenario, based on recent computer models, the storm would track close to the coast, bringing snow and strong winds to parts of the Southeast and coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic and New England, while largely sparing major cities along the Northeast’s Interstate 95 corridor, including Washington, DC, and New York City. In this case, coastal flooding and beach erosion would be limited to shoreline areas from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
A second, less favored scenario would see the storm hugging the coast more closely, triggering heavy snow and strong winds from the eastern Carolinas through the I-95 corridor. CNN noted that such a track could compound impacts from last weekend’s storm, as several communities are still recovering from power outages and snowfall amid record-cold temperatures.
The third and least likely scenario involves the storm moving out to sea shortly after forming, keeping its strongest winds and snowfall offshore and sparing even the Carolinas from major impacts.
CNN also reported that the upcoming storm will differ significantly from the previous widespread winter system that affected much of the eastern United States. While expected to be more intense and wind-driven, the storm is likely to have a smaller footprint. A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet is considered unlikely due to cold air ahead of the system, though blizzard conditions and damaging coastal waves remain possible.
The network advised residents from the Carolinas to the Northeast to closely monitor updated forecasts as the weekend approaches, noting that the likelihood of a significant storm is increasing.
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