As the weekend approaches, vast regions of the United States are gearing up for another round of sharply dropping temperatures, courtesy of a potent ‘bomb cyclone’ poised to unleash its fury. For the second weekend in a row, approximately 35 million Americans find themselves under severe weather alerts, bracing for snow and ice.
Meteorologists have dubbed this storm Gianna, and it is currently building in intensity. It is predicted to bring an unusual cold snap to the southeastern parts of the country, with states like Florida, which are unaccustomed to such weather, in its path. The cold front is set to reach Florida by Saturday, gaining strength throughout the day and peaking by Sunday morning.
However, the regions anticipated to bear the brunt of this storm are the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic coast, stretching from Virginia all the way up to New York.
Already, a powerful nor’easter has blanketed the Appalachian Mountains with several inches of snow. This system is forecasted to evolve into a bomb cyclone off the coast of North Carolina by Sunday, promising to intensify the wintry conditions.
But the worst hit areas are expected to be the Carolinas and the Mid Atlantic coast from Virginia up to New York.
An intense nor’easter has already peppered the Appalachians with inches of snow and is expected to develop into a bomb cyclone off the coast of North Carolina by Sunday.
The storm’s pressure is expected to intensify rapidly, which would create an ‘Arctic hurricane’, formally known as a bomb cyclone.
Frigid air from the Canadian Arctic will plunge into the Southeast, raising the possibility of snow along Florida’s Gulf Coast or Atlantic beaches.
Weather forecasts suggest the freezing temperatures will reach Florida by Saturday and strengthen through the day into Sunday morning
The National Weather Service said snow flurries around the Tampa Bay area late Saturday night into Sunday morning were possible
The chance of snow flurries around the Tampa Bay late Saturday night into Sunday morning was set at 10 to 20 percent by the National Weather Service.
The polar temperature will shroud the region in ‘cold, blustery conditions’.
Locals were urged to secure any loose objects as part of the wind advisory, which will also make it hard to drive high–profile vehicles.
Being on the water will also become perilous for small boats and vessels, according to authorities.
Orlando could drop to 25 degrees or below, while Miami may see mid–30s Sunday into Monday. That level of cold has not been seen since 2010.
Wind chills in northern and central parts of the state could fall to the single digits, as well.
The bitter cold has already shuttered the theme parks in Orlando, where both Disney World and Universal Studios announced temporary closures due to the freezing temperatures.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will be closed starting today through Monday, while Universal Studios’ Volcano Bay water park will also not operate today.
Wind chills in northern and central parts of the Florida could fall to the single digits as part of the storm
The freezing conditions are so unique that Florida’s animals and plants could also be affected
The freezing conditions are so unique that they could even affect some of Florida’s wildlife, including freezing fruit trees.
‘Green iguanas are sensitive to the cold and can become stunned when temperatures fall into the 40s and 30s,’ meteorologist Brandon Buckingham told AccuWeather. ‘When that happens, they may lose their grip and fall from the trees.’
Meteorologists expect the bomb cyclone to form off the Southeast coast near Georgia and South Carolina early Saturday.
The storm is then expected to quickly strengthen as it tracks north along the coast into Sunday.
Some areas are still recovering from Winter Storm Fern last weekend, with residents experiencing power outages.
As of Saturday, more than 150,000 Americans in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee were still without power following Fern, according to PowerOutage.us.
Overnight lows could drop into the teens and 20s, putting locals at risk.
The National Weather Service shared a graphic showing how air from the Canadian Arctic was plunging into the Southeast US
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, said that his residents, ‘need a clear timeline for power restoration, transparency on the number of linemen deployed, and a better understanding of when work will be completed in their neighborhood.’
Prolonged exposure to extreme cold can cause hypothermia and frostbite within minutes.
Winter Storm Gianna arrives on the heels of the Winter Storm Fern, which has claimed more than 100 lives.
