Winter storm ‘bomb cylone’ warning leaves 45MILLION Americans along East Coast preparing for power outages and flooding

A “BOMB cyclone” weather warning has left 45million Americans along the East coast preparing for power outages and flooding ahead of a severe storm.

Winter Storm Kenan is expected to pummel the Northeast this weekend with the major Nor’easter bringing blizzard and hazardous travel conditions.

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Travel should be avoided in any of the areas where a blizzard or winter storm warning has been issued from Friday until Saturday, the National Weather Service advised.

Some parts of the northeast could see up to two feet of snow including the Boston metro area, Weather.com reports.

A least a foot of snow is also forecast for eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut to parts of coastal Maine.

Gust as high as 70mph could hit southeastern New England, while the New York tri-state area should expect gusts between 30 to 50 mph – bringing the threat of power outages.

High winds closer to the coast also bring fears of flooding as ocean water and waves could be driven inland.

“The heaviest snowfall is likely to fall across a swath extending from the Eastern Shore of Maryland up through most of Maine where 6-12 inches are likely,” the Weather Prediction Center said early Friday.

“Parts of coastal New England, where blizzard conditions are forecast, may see between 1-2 feet of snow with locally higher amounts possible, specifically over coastal Massachusetts,” it added.

“Powerful winter storm to produce significant impacts across parts of New England and coastal Mid-Atlantic/Northeast on Saturday.”

Read our Bomb Cyclone live blog for the latest updates

As of Friday morning, the NWS had issued blizzard warnings from the southern Delmarva Peninsula to eastern New Jersey, central and eastern Long Island, New York.

Connecticut, Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, and coastal portions of New Hampshire and Maine are also under the warning.

Boston, Providence, Portland, Maine, and Atlantic City, New Jersey,  are expected to be among the places worst hit.

 A winter storm warning has also been issued as far south as South Carolina.

New York City, Hartford, Philadelphia, and Norfolk, Virginia, can expect a  combination of significant snowfall and strong winds.

BLIZZARD BUILDS

On Friday morning, Winter Storm Kenan began producing light snow over the Ohio Valley as it developed.

Low pressure is forecast to strengthen rapidly as the storm tracks up the East Coast late Friday into Saturday.

The rapid pressure change is expected to bring on a “bomb cyclone.”

The weather phenomenon happens when a low-pressure system’s central pressure drops at least 24 millibars — a millibar measures atmospheric pressure — over 24 hours or less.

A storm with a lower pressure has higher intensity.

The drop in pressure causes winds to rush toward the center, carrying and unleashing a lot of moisture in the form of “copious amounts” of precipitation, according to AccuWeather.

When the air is cold enough, heavy snow and blizzard conditions can follow.

WINTER STORM KENAN’S PATH

Winter Storm Kenan’s exact path is not yet clear, with ten miles in the difference meaning significantly less snow for the Northeast if the storm should move further out to sea.

Snow and strong winds are expected to increase on Friday night with the storm reaching its peak off the New England coast as the weekend begins.

Snowfall rates of one to four inches per hour are expected in the most intense snow bands over eastern New England, according to Weather.com.

The snow will continue in Maine and New Hampshire on Saturday night but diminish in southern New England.

Snow should have tapered off in most areas by Sunday morning.

Temperatures are expected to remain low in the wake of the storm, however.

Freezing single-digit temperatures just above or below zero will last into Sunday.