Snow, wind, brutal cold
With the arrival of another winter storm, another common meteorological term has entered the popular lexicon: bombogenesis. Bombogenesis refers to the rapid intensification of a mid-latitude cyclone (specifically, a surface pressure decrease of 24 hPa or more in 24 hour period). The system that brought snowfall to the Northeast beginning yesterday afternoon developed rapidly off the Virginia coast, prompting the use of the term bombogenesis in several media reports. A total of 8 to 14 inches of snow was expected across Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, making for our first major snowfall since the 15.1 inches we received in the January 2-3 storm. While the snow may stop around midday today, it will still be brutally cold, thanks to temperatures in the teens and blustery north winds - combining to create wind chill values near or below 0°F. Quite a contrast from the mild temperatures of last week! Tomorrow and Friday the skies will clear, but it will remain chilly with daytime highs in the teens and lows in the single digits. The weekend should bring a return to temperatures in the 30°Fs.