Currently, the East Coast is being pelted with ice balls. Trees are exploding, and over 10,000 flights have been cancelled.
Last weekend, the storm began, dumping over 20 inches of snow in parts of New England. In the South, Tennessee and Mississippi were hit the hardest, with crippling ice accumulations.
However, this weekend, it’s ramping up.
Named Winter Storm Gianna, “[the storm] will rapidly intensify along the Atlantic Coast of the United States this weekend,” says AccuWeather, “and is forecast to bring accumulating snow to parts of the Southeast and a close call with heavy snow along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.”
70mph winds will be heading across the Atlantic, temperatures will be dropping into the negatives, and coastal flooding will impact the whole coast. In fact, this storm could be historical; forecasted to break multiple snow-level and northeastern precipitation records.
“By Saturday, the storm will reach bomb cyclone status, which could lead the way for the storm to reach blizzard level conditions by Sunday.” (Realtor.com)
A bomb cyclone, also known as a bombogenesis, is a type of wintery hurricane. It occurs when atmospheric pressure quickly drops. Measured in millibars, the barometer must drop at least 24 in 24 hours. Bomb cyclones are extremely dangerous, and often rival the power of a hurricane.
Meanwhile, Washington State is looking pretty much the opposite. 3,000 miles away and living in totally different winter conditions. Tumwater gets a general 4-6 inches of snow per year, due to the mild maritime climate.
“FOX 13 Seattle’s guide to NW weather explains that while cold air can arrive from the east, it is often overridden by warmer, wetter air from the Pacific, resulting in rain or a mixture rather than pure snow.” (Fox 13)
On the forecast, there is no snow in THS’s near future, but if you travel to Mt. Snoqualmie, White Pass, Mt. Baker, or Leavenworth, you will get your fair share of wintery weather. But it will not be anything like the extreme winter the East Coast is facing now.
Works Cited
Sosnowski, Alex. “US East Coast bomb cyclone could bring heaviest snow in decades to North Carolina.” AccuWeather, https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/u-s-east-coast-bomb-cyclone-could-bring-heaviest-snow-in-decades-to-north-carolina/1857663. Accessed 29 January 2026.
“What is a bomb cyclone? How bombogenesis forms a winter hurricane.” USA Today, 6 January 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/06/bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-weather-explained/9107820002/. Accessed 29 January 2026.
