Storm Threatens Snow for Florida’s Beaches and ‘Bomb Cyclone’ in Coming Days

A winter storm traveling across the southern United States threatens to drop snow on parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast for the first time in a decade, as hundreds of thousands of Americans are still without power from another storm that wreaked havoc across the country last week.

Forecasters warn the storm could turn into a “bomb cyclone”—the term for when atmospheric pressure drops sharply over a short period, causing high winds and snow.

The storm had already begun to drop snow on parts of eastern Tennessee, the Carolinas, and southern Virginia by Friday, and Tampa is preparing to see snow flurries for the first time since 2010. 

About 240 million people were under cold weather advisories Saturday, and nearly 200,000 customers were without power, some from last week’s storm, most in Tennessee and Mississippi.

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“An explosively deepening coastal cyclone will continue to bring moderate to heavy snow, high winds, and possibly blizzard conditions for the Carolinas through tonight,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its advisory Saturday afternoon.  “An intense surge of arctic air behind the coastal storm will send below freezing temperatures down toward South Florida by Sunday morning.”

The storm will break records, NWS said, “bringing coldest air in nearly a decade plus” to Florida. An Extreme Cold Warning is in place for Sunday morning, where wind chills could reach the upper-teens in West Palm Beach, where cities are asking customers to conserve power and medical institutions are seeing an influx of flu and asthma diagnoses

Although the South is likely to be hit hard, models indicate the storm will move out to sea by Sunday, keeping snow out of the Northeast.

Meanwhile, North Carolina is likely to be hit hard. Unlike last week’s storm, which brought mostly ice to the region, this system is expected to produce more snow, with parts of the state potentially seeing 8-13 inches. The state is currently under a State of Emergency, and Gov. Josh Stein issued an advisory recommending that people continue to stay off the roads.

“Our transportation, public safety, and emergency management teams are positioned and working to keep people safe, and I’m grateful for their continued efforts,” Stein said. “Stay home and off the roads, grab a sled, and enjoy the winter fun.”

The wind is also a particular concern of emergency management crews in the state, as wind gusts of 25-45 miles per hour are possible across central North Carolina, with higher gusts of 55-70 miles per hour or higher along the coast.