A bomb cyclone brings blizzards and dangerous wind chills to the Midwest

A strengthening bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. on Monday, unleashing severe winter weather in the Midwest as it took aim at the East Coast.

The storm brought blizzard conditions, treacherous travel and widespread power outages to parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday as sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain swept through.

Forecasters said the storm intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that rapidly strengthens as surface pressure drops. The sharp cold front left parts of the central U.S. waking up Monday to temperatures as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) colder than the day before.

The driving wind and snow created “a pretty significant system for even this part of the country,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. Forecasters expect the storm to intensify as it moves east, fueled by a sharp clash between frigid Canadian air and lingering warmth across the southern United States.

The plunging temperatures, combined with strong winds, created dangerous wind chills as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius) across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. The National Weather Service warned of whiteout conditions beginning Sunday that could make travel impossible in some places.

In Iowa, blizzard conditions eased but high winds were still blowing fallen snow across roadways, keeping more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) of Interstate 35 closed Monday morning. State troopers reported dozens of crashes during the storm, including one that killed a person.

The strong area of low pressure tracking from the Great Lakes into southeast Canada brought heavy snow to parts of Michigan on Monday, with powerful winds and intense lake-effect snow expected across the Great Lakes into New York.

In Detroit, three semi-trailers and roughly 20 other vehicles crashed on Interstate 75, injuring one person, said Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Diane Cross, as strong winds whipped newly fallen snow into a sudden squalls.

Nationwide, about 400,000 customers were without power Monday morning, nearly a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us. U.S. airports reported around 5,000 flight delays and around 700 cancellations.

Snow piled up quickly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where as much as 2 feet (60 centimeters) fell in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Ryan Metzger said additional snow was expected in the coming days, although totals would be far lighter than what fell overnight.

Rain and a wintry mix fell farther east across parts of the Northeast. Freezing rain was reported in parts of northern New York, with the threat extending into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Forecasters warned the ice could strain power lines and trees. State police in Vermont said they responded to 92 crashes overnight, three of which resulted in injuries.

On the West Coast, the National Weather Service warned that moderate to strong Santa Ana winds were expected in parts of Southern California through Tuesday, raising concerns about downed trees in areas where soils have been saturated by recent storms. Two more storms were forecast later this week, with rain on New Year’s Day potentially soaking the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.