A powerful winter storm is barreling towards Florida, threatening to bring freezing temperatures and snow to the state's beaches for the first time in a decade.
Record-Breaking Cold on the Horizon
Forecasters warn that the storm could develop into a 'bomb cyclone,' a weather event in which atmospheric pressure drops sharply over a short period, causing high winds and snow.
Impact Zone: The South
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an advisory warning of moderate to heavy snow, high winds, and possibly blizzard conditions for the Carolinas, while below-freezing temperatures are expected to spread down to South Florida by Sunday morning.
Second-Order Effects: Infrastructure and Public Health
As the storm breaks records, NWS said it will bring coldest air in nearly a decade plus to Florida, with wind chills reaching the upper-teens in West Palm Beach. Cities are asking customers to conserve power, and medical institutions are seeing an influx of flu and asthma diagnoses.
About 240 million people were under cold weather advisories Saturday, with nearly 200,000 customers without power, some from last week's storm, mostly in Tennessee and Mississippi.
An Extreme Cold Warning is in place for Sunday morning, with wind gusts of 25-45 miles per hour possible across central North Carolina, and higher gusts of 55-70 miles per hour or higher along the coast.
The state of North Carolina is under a State of Emergency, and Gov. Josh Stein has issued an advisory urging people to stay off the roads.
Watchlist: Next Steps in the Next Few Sessions
As the storm moves out to sea by Sunday, keeping snow out of the Northeast, the focus shifts to the South, where North Carolina is likely to be hit hard, with parts of the state potentially seeing 8-13 inches of snow.
What remains unclear is the full extent of the storm's impact on infrastructure and public health, as emergency management crews in North Carolina are working to keep people safe.
The Bottom Line
- The storm may develop into a 'bomb cyclone,' causing high winds and snow.
- Below-freezing temperatures are expected to spread down to South Florida by Sunday morning.
- The state of North Carolina is under a State of Emergency, with Gov. Josh Stein urging people to stay off the roads.
