Weather tracker: US cities close schools and cancel flights amid heavy snowfall

"Blizzard warnings were issued for major cities including New York City, Portland and Boston, while more than 10,000 flights were cancelled and schools closed across several states. The storm intensified rapidly through Sunday, with coastal areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island recording wind gusts of about 70mph, and Montauk Point in New York reporting stronger gusts of 84mph."

"By Monday, snowfall totals had exceeded 38cm (15in) in parts, including Central Park and John F Kennedy international airport. Some communities experienced more than six consecutive hours of steady snowfall, with totals surpassing 76cm in parts of Massachusetts and on Long Island, New York. Rhode Island recorded as much as 96cm by Monday night, while Fall River, Massachusetts reached 104cm."

"The storm has been described as a bomb cyclone, which is derived from the term bombogenesis, and occurs when a mid-latitude storm rapidly intensifies and drops its central pressure of at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. Hernando's pressure reportedly fell by about 40 millibars in less than 12 hours, signalling explosive development."

"The rapid deepening was fuelled by a sharp contrast between relatively mild, moisture-laden Atlantic air and much colder continental air from Canada. The strong temperature gradient strengthened the storm's circulation, while abundant moisture led to intense snowfall, with slightly warmer air enabling heavier, wetter snow and substantial accumulation."

Winter Storm Hernando swept across northeastern United States on Sunday through early week, producing blizzard conditions across major cities including New York City, Boston, and Portland. The storm intensified rapidly, with coastal wind gusts reaching 70mph and peak gusts of 84mph at Montauk Point. Snowfall exceeded 38cm in major cities and surpassed 76cm in Massachusetts and Long Island, with Rhode Island recording 96cm and Fall River, Massachusetts reaching 104cm. Over 10,000 flights were cancelled, schools closed across multiple states, and more than 650,000 homes lost power. The storm qualified as a bomb cyclone, with pressure dropping approximately 40 millibars in less than 12 hours, driven by contrasting Atlantic and Canadian air masses. At least two deaths were attributed to the severe weather.

Read at www.theguardian.com