A massive storm is set to blanket a large section of the country with some late-winter snow. Forecasters are predicting several inches of snow in the Southeast and Midwest, while the storm could dump more than a foot of snow in parts of the Northeast as it strengthens into a powerful "bomb cyclone."
"A fast-moving and rapidly strengthening storm will bring intense weather and dramatic weather changes to the eastern half of the nation, with the most extremes in store for the Northeast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.
A bomb cyclone forms when there is a 24-millibar decrease in pressure in under 24 hours. David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said that the storm could approach the all-time low-pressure record of 940.2 millibars, which was set in 1977.
In addition to heavy snow, the storm is also bringing frigid temperatures and high winds. States across the Midwest are experiencing temperatures that are 30 degrees below average, while wind chill is expected to drop into the single digits in the Northeast.
Over 65 million people were under winter weather alerts from the National Weather Service, which stretched from parts of New Mexico all the way up to Maine.