Residents from the Great Lakes to the Northeast face a significant threat as a formidable winter storm, known as a bomb cyclone, barrels through the region.

On Monday, meteorologists sounded alarms, predicting that areas including the Great Lakes, New York, New Hampshire, and Maine could see snowfall amounts reaching up to two feet in some of the most affected regions.

Defined as a bomb cyclone or bombogenesis, this weather phenomenon involves a rapidly strengthening low-pressure system that can unleash severe and hazardous conditions.

Travel across the Great Lakes is expected to become increasingly perilous, with colder air moving in on Monday likely to transform any initial wintry mix into heavy snow and potential whiteout scenarios.

Brandon Buckingham, a meteorologist with AccuWeather, indicated that the storm is set to intensify swiftly as it moves through the Midwest and Great Lakes areas.

“The storm will pose threats such as heavy snow, ice, severe thunderstorms, powerful wind gusts, and torrential rain,” Buckingham explained.

The system is barreling toward several major US cities, placing Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston in its path.

Forecasts warn that some of these areas could see between six and 10 inches of snow by Tuesday, while isolated locations may receive significantly higher totals.

Millions of Americans from the Great Lakes to the Northeast are under a bomb cyclone warning as a powerful winter storm sweeps across the region. Pictured is Minnesota on Sunday

Meteorologists issued alerts on Monday, warning that snowfall totals in parts of the Great Lakes, New York, New Hampshire, and Maine could reach up to two feet in the hardest-hit areas

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), certain storms undergo bombogenesis, which happens when a storm’s central pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. 

These storms are sometimes called bomb cyclones. Storm intensity is measured by central pressure, so the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.

Such rapidly strengthening storms are capable of producing heavy rain, blizzard conditions and intense winds that can create dangerous conditions such as downed trees and power outages.

‘If you’re watching TV at night and the weather report comes on and you’re hearing ‘bomb cyclone’ being used, that usually means there’s quite a bit of active weather going on,’ said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS said more than 30 million Americans were under winter weather alerts on Monday.

The bomb cyclone has hit the Midwest hardest, leaving more than 100,000 people without power amid heavy snow and intense winds. This is the same storm that drenched California with rain and flooding on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

AccuWeather predicted winds of at least 35 miles per hour from southwestern Minnesota to central Ontario. Combined with snow, these winds could reduce visibility to less than one-quarter mile for several consecutive hours, meeting blizzard criteria.

‘These conditions will make travel extremely difficult and dangerous, if not impossible, for a time,’ said AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.

The bomb cyclone could unleash powerful winds, causing power outages across several US states

Wind advisories extend from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, with gusts potentially reaching 55 miles per hour. High wind alerts were issued for more than 114 million people across the eastern U.S., according to CBS News.

AccuWeather warned that cities such as Bangor and Portland, Maine; Albany and Binghamton, New York; Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Vermont could see even light freezing rain late Sunday into Monday, which may coat roads and sidewalks in ice, making travel treacherous.

‘Because of the storm’s likely designation as a bomb cyclone, rapid pressure changes around its center will generate widespread strong winds, even in areas not experiencing precipitation,’ AccuWeather said. 

‘Gusts of 40-60 mph are expected, potentially disrupting air travel at major airports, including Chicago-O’Hare Monday and New York City-area airports Monday night into Tuesday morning.’