Bomb cyclone, blizzard-like conditions and flooding could hammer parts of the U.S.
A storm system strengthening Thursday across the Plains will be so intense, it will reach the official criteria of a bomb cyclone and bring blizzard-like conditions and flooding to the eastern half of the country through Saturday.
Millions are under flood watches and wind and winter alerts as the the nation’s central region braces for an Arctic blast that is set to bring “dangerously cold” subzero temperatures there this weekend and the eastern half of the country prepares for more snow, sleet and rain from relentless winter storms.
The National Weather Service said in an advisory Thursday that in the wake of this week’s storms, a “much colder Arctic airmass” will arrive across the Plains and the Midwest and into the Ohio Valley, and last well beyond the end of this week.
The coldest air of the season is expected to blow into the Rockies and the Plains on Thursday, dumping snow in parts of Nebraska and Kansas.
Meanwhile, severe storms in Waco, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Shreveport, Louisiana, on Thursday night could produce large hail and the potential for an isolated strong tornado.
On Friday, blizzard-like conditions are possible in the Plains, the Midwest and the Great Lakes. Des Moines, Iowa, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee could all be affected.
People in states from Mississippi to North Carolina may not have to worry about a blizzard Friday, but they could see strong tornadoes and wind gusts that exceed 75 mph. Heavy rain and wind is forecast to move into the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast on Friday night.
The mercury will drop to minus figures across much of Montana and North Dakota on Friday afternoon, with highs in the single digits and 10s across Iowa and Minnesota.
“Temperatures will be brutal compared to the relatively mild conditions that have been experienced for much of the winter season up to this point in time,” the weather service said.
After heavy snow and treacherous driving conditions all week, the agency said, another major winter storm was due to hit eastern Nebraska to central Michigan on Saturday, with widespread snow of 6 to 12 inches across this portion of the Midwest, and more than a foot possible in lower Michigan.
Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses Monday are expected to be the coldest in the state's history, with zero degrees Fahrenheit forecast for Des Moines, amid fears that the cold could affect turnout.
And sports is not immune to the Midwest freeze either: Saturday's playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins is set to be played in minus 6 conditions — dropping to about minus 20 with wind chill — which would make it the coldest home playoff game in the Chiefs' history.
The South is also expected to see yet more extreme weather this weekend, with a repeated chance of high winds and tornadoes. Parts of Florida are still repairing damage from tornadoes earlier this week.
At least seven people were injured by a tornado that reached wind speeds of 125 mph in Jackson County, Florida, on Tuesday, according to a report from the weather service in Tallahassee issued Wednesday night.
So far, five people are known to have died as a result of winter weather in the last week.
While more rainfall is expected along the East Coast from Friday, it is expected to be less than that seen during last week's storm systems — although 1 to 2 inches of rain is still possible in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, bringing the chance of flooding.
The number of properties without power has dropped from more than half a million Wednesday morning to fewer than 100,000 across the country as of Thursday morning, according to the outage tracking website Poweroutage.us.
In western regions and the Rockies, more heavy snow is expected with the heaviest due for the northwestern coast of California and the Oregon Cascades, where “a few feet of snow” is likely Saturday, the weather service said, as yet another storm makes its way inland.
Warnings for high morning tides and high surf were in place in Southern California, the weather service in Los Angeles said.
"Add in the gusty winds & cold weather, the beach & ocean won't make for a fun place to be. Be safe & consider staying away," the weather service said in a post on X on Wednesday night.
It also urged people to "check on your family, friends, neighbors, pets, and plants" as temperatures drop.
A state of emergency was declared in Ventura, California, where high surf has caused $1.75 million of damage to the city's historic pier, which remains closed.
