The US is experiencing massive amounts of snow and sub-freezing temperatures since Sunday, which has obstructed holiday travels. The deep freeze was caused by the arctic bomb cyclone that made its way through the country. A bomb cyclone forms when a mass of low-pressure air meets a high-pressure mass, by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. This pressure drop rapidly increases the pressure difference between two air masses, making winds stronger.
Such a bomb cyclone is wreaking havoc with blizzard conditions and record-breaking cold across the central US. The storm also created a major lake-effect snow event in New York, where conditions near Buffalo have turned fatal. Multiple deaths have been reported across the country.
Although such storms are not rare, this one is incredibly strong and intense. This natural disaster is one of the results of a rapidly changing climate and rising temperatures. Here are some alarming pictures of the deadly Arctic bomb cyclone that has put the US in a numbing deep freeze.
A resident of Urbandale, Iowa, shovels snow off the end of a driveway in the aftermath of the cyclone.
Image: AP
Snow-covered Washington Street in Denver, where navigating became difficult.
Image: AP
A storm warning was displayed on highways in Madison, Wisconsin for people to be cautious.
Image: AP
Canada is also bearing the brunt of the Arctic bomb cyclone.
Image: AP
Pictures of towns in deep freeze due to the bomb cyclone in the US have been circulating across the internet. This is the town of Cheektowaga, New York.
Image: AP
New York’s Buffalo in knee-deep snow amid the cyclone.
Image: AP
Snow and fog cover the Mississippi riverfront in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Image: AP
Snow-covered street in Rosemont, Illinois. The storm made navigating incredibly difficult.
Image: AP
A train approaches a station as the leading edge of the winter storm reaches Chicago.
Image: AP
Vehicle stuck on Interstate 70 highway, which was closed due to extreme winter driving conditions, in Silverthorne, Colorado.
Image: AP
A winter storm rolls through Western New York during the holiday season, making it difficult to get outside.
Image: AP
Buffalo suburbs and surrounding areas are the hardest hit regions.
Image: John Normile
A frozen fountain in New Orleans as the bomb cyclone rolls in.
Image: AP
Wrapped in a blanket, a man walks on the pavement as the snow starts to fall in St Louis.
Image: AP
A stuck snow plow needs a tow in Canfield, Ontario in the devastating storm.
Image: Carlos Osorio/REUTERS