Bomb cyclone in US: 55 million affected by weather warnings as winter storm dumps snow in northeast

A winter storm that is intensifying into a bomb cyclone is hammering the northeastern part of the US, with multiple states grappling with heavy snowfall and associated disruptions.

As per CNN, currently more than 55 million people across the US, or over 16% of the country's population, are under winter weather warnings.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for several parts of northeastern US, including areas in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and New York.

In some parts of the northeast, snowfall has risen to a rate of an inch an hour, threatening to blanket entire communities.

CNN also reported that St Louis had broken a record for snowfall set nearly a century back in 1937.

What's the forecast for the East Coast?

However, as per the National Weather Service (NWS), it seems that the major cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC will escape the full intensity of the storm, with most winter weather warnings falling to the north of these urban centres.

That said, while major East Coast cities are expected to receive cold rain, there is still a slight possibility of snow.

"The rain versus snow line is expected to come close to the Interstate 95 corridor Tuesday morning. A slight shift in the storm track farther offshore could help to pull in cold enough air for snow to occur in places like Philadelphia, New York City and Boston,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.

Interiors to see heavy snowfall

The story for the interiors, however, is a whole different story: people travelling along the interstates from Maryland into central Pennsylvania can expect to see snow, with snowfall becoming heavier as one goes inland, with some areas expected to receive 6 to 12 inches of snow.

Interior areas, from western Massachusetts to Vermont, New Hampshire and parts of Maine, could see 6 inches or more.

Icy conditions, meanwhile, remain a concern for higher elevations in Virginia and West Virginia.

"Just on the other side of the rain and snow line, where the colder air is more dominant, a zone of 3-6 inches of snow is possible across eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and across portions of New England," Buckingham added.

AccuWeather also said that a narrow zone near the rain-snow line could experience a brief period of sleet or freezing rain, with the eastern Appalachians and the ridge and valley region from western Virginia to southern Pennsylvania being the most susceptible.

“Slippery roads will be possible across this zone, including Roanoke, Virginia,” the weather forecasting platform said.