Winter Kicks Off With Back-to-Back Arctic Blasts and a Potential Bomb Cyclone

Winter is officially here, and it’s starting off with a bang.

A blast of Arctic air sent temperatures plummeting across the eastern U.S. over the weekend, and two more cold waves are likely on the way. Meanwhile, a large storm currently affecting the central U.S. is tracking eastward, and the frigid temps could help it rapidly intensify into a bomb cyclone.

As of Monday—the first day of meteorological winter—the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter weather advisories in 17 states from Oklahoma to New York, along with winter storm watches across much of New England. CNN meteorologists expect the storm to undergo bombogenesis—a pressure drop of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours—as it tracks up the East Coast, bringing the first widespread snow and ice of the season to parts of the Northeast.

Even after the storm moves north into Canada late Tuesday, forecasts suggest the cold will stick around. A major polar vortex disruption could continue to send waves of icy Arctic air toward the U.S. through the beginning of next week.

“Not one, not two, but three surges of frigid air could reach the United States this week, each pushing a bit farther south and east than the last,†Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll posted on X Sunday.

Not one, not two, but three surges of frigid air could reach the United States this week, each pushing a bit farther south and east than the last.

Meteorological winter starts on Monday. pic.twitter.com/eDV5VRCvZV

— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) November 30, 2025

How arctic blasts fuel bomb cyclones

The extent of the storm’s snow and ice will largely depend on how it interacts with the incoming Arctic air. Through Tuesday, overnight temperatures are expected to plunge below zero across the Northern Plains and Midwest and drop below freezing as far south as northern Texas.

Bomogenesis occurs when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, which is exactly what’s happening now as the Arctic blast meets warm, moist air near the Gulf Coast. Meteorologists expect the interaction between these contrasting air masses to trigger a rapid drop in pressure that will strengthen the winter storm moving across the eastern U.S.

Bomb cyclones produce stronger winds and heavier precipitation than your typical rain or snow storm. While the impact of this week’s bomb cyclone remains to be seen, it will compound the effects of heavy snow that accumulated in several states over the weekend.

Here comes the snow

Local snowfall accumulations ranging from several inches up to a foot have already been recorded across the Midwest, according to the NWS. The treacherous conditions caused a 45-car pileup in Indiana and sent a Delta jet skidding off the runway in Iowa on Sunday—one of the biggest travel days of the year.

Over the next several days, parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region will receive even more snow, with accumulations ranging from a light dusting to several inches, according to CNN. As the storm moves into the Northeast Tuesday morning, commutes will likely be impacted. Up to 15 inches could accumulate in parts of northern New England, including coastal Maine, central New Hampshire, and southern Vermont.

For much of the Northeast, it will be the first impactful winter storm of the season, according to the NWS. “Although uncertainty remains with respect to specific totals, the threat of significant snow accumulations across the interior is rising, with more than 6 [inches] possible north and west of the I-95 corridor,†officials stated in a Monday update.

With more Arctic air coming down the pike, winter is certainly off to a ferocious start. The season has only just begun, but the coldest days of December may still lie ahead.