As a winter storm that could develop into a 'bomb cyclone' brings heavy snow, torrential rain, and the potential for tornadoes, tens of thousands of flights in the eastern United States have been delayed or canceled.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware, as of 4 p.m. New York time on the 16th (4 a.m. on the 17th Malaysia time), 3,982 flights nationwide had already been canceled and another 8,851 flights delayed. Major hub airports such as Chicago, New York (including LaGuardia Airport), Charlotte, and Atlanta are among the most severely affected.
The cause of the massive flight disruptions is a powerful storm that has dumped several feet of snow in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and brought gusts up to 113 km/h in the Mid-Atlantic region.
AccuWeather, a U.S. weather forecasting company, noted that the central pressure of this storm could drop sharply to reach the criteria for a 'bomb cyclone.' If a storm’s pressure drops by about 24 millibars within 24 hours, it meets the relevant definition.
In Washington, the severe weather has prompted officials to decide to close public schools two hours early on the 16th, with all afternoon and evening activities canceled.
In addition, according to power tracking website PowerOutage.com, more than 383,000 households and businesses from Texas to the East Coast have lost power.