North eastern Blizzard

“A study last summer found that in a warming world, the strongest nor’easters were becoming significantly stronger.”

On February 22nd-23rd, the northeast was hit with a bomb cyclone. A bomb cyclone is a powerful storm that intensifies rapidly, with its central air pressure dropping by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. It was about as strong as you can get. It was the strongest one in a decade.

It had thunder and lightning, two rare things in a snowstorm. The storm hit the goldilocks situation of just the right temperature for wet heavy snow. If it were any warmer, it wouldn’t have been snow.

It was also on the right path for maximum snowfall, a little farther inland, and it would’ve lost its power from the ocean. A little off land it would’ve been more on the ocean.

By midday Monday, Providence hit a new snowfall record, clocking in at over 33 inches of snow on the ground.

Winds topped over 83 miles per hour in some places. And in other parts of the Northeast it was also hitting hurricane-type winds.