Winter Storm Elliott Intensified Into Bomb Cyclone With High Winds, Blizzard Conditions, Flooding

W​inter Storm Elliott was a cross-country storm that had its origins in the Pacific Northwest, but really intensified in the Great Lakes, bringing blizzard conditions to several states, and strong winds and brutally cold temperatures to the eastern two-thirds of the Lower 48. In fact, it became a bomb cyclone.

Elliott led to a widespread cold outbreak that encompassed the entire eastern two-thirds of the country, but even led to a cold air intrusion in Washington and Oregon that led to the formation of Winter Storm Fernando. Its chill brought temperatures not seen in a generation in some spots.

E​lliott also produced widespread damaging wind gusts and coastal/lakeshore flooding.

H​ere are some fast facts about Elliott:

-​ 18 people died from Oregon to New York, many of which are the result of vehicle accidents. 3- Oklahoma; 1-Nebraska: 3-Kansas; 1-Oregon; 2-Kentucky; 1-Missouri; 5 Ohio; 2-New York.

-​ At one point on Christmas Eve, up to 1.7 million customers lost power on the East Coast. At points during the storm, the Tennesee Valley Authority and Duke Energy created rolling backouts to reduce energy demands.

-​ More than 5,700 flights were canceled into or out of the United States due to Elliott or Fernando before Christmas.

-​ More than 60% of the American population was under some sort of winter weather alert; many of which were simultaneously under wind chill alerts.

-Elk Park, Montana, has recorded the coldest temperature (minus 50 degrees) and wind chill (minus 74 degrees) anywhere in the Lower 48 on Dec. 22.

-​The freezing line dropped as far south as Mobile Bay, which partially froze, and Central Florida.

-​ 39 inches: That was the highest snowfall total in Elliott. It was recorded in Snyder, New York.

-​ 151 mph: That was the highest wind gust reported anywhere in the country in Elliott. It was recorded at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire.

S​torm Summary

W​inter Storm Elliott began in the Pacific Northwest on Dec. 20, bringing the Cascades up to two feet of snow.

I​n Washington State, snow coated roads and plunged temperatures. Interstate 90 was closed at Snoqualmie Pass. Temperatures dropped into the teens and 20s on Dec. 21. Wind chills dropped into the single digits in Seattle.

I​n Oregon, slick roads likely led to one fatality on I-84 in northern portions of the state east of Portland.

O​n Dec. 21, Elliott rapidly dropped through the Rockies and into the Plains.

C​rashes were reported on snowy or icy roads from Oklahoma to Minnesota. Several wrecks occurred in Wichita and Salina, Kansas, in icy conditions. Flights began to get canceled from Denver to Chicago.

Temperatures plunged by 30-50 degrees in Colorado and Wyoming as Elliott brought arctic air southward. Denver set a record for the biggest plunge in one hour – 37 degrees – and then dipped to minus 24 degrees early on Dec. 22. That's a temperature only seen once in a generation. ​U​p to a foot of snow fell in the Colorado Rockies, as well.

We mentioned earlier that this winter storm became a bomb cyclone.

On December 23rd, E​lliott met the criterion to be considered a bomb cyclone, an area of low pressure that intensifies rapidly.

Meteorologists frequently discuss pressure in terms of millibars, rather than inches of mercury.

The reason this all matters beyond just a geeky statistic is the lower the pressure in a storm, the more intense it is. And the greater difference in pressure over an area, the stronger the winds.

(​MORE: What Is A Bomb Cyclone?)

​WDecember low-pressure records in eastern Ontario​inter Storm Elliott's center set a new December low pressure record in Sudbury, Ontario, according to data compiled by NOAA Weather Prediction Center meteorologist David Roth.

Nevertheless, this combination of wind, snow, cold, snow squalls and flash freezes has become a major travel headache.

T​he strongest wind gusts hammered parts of New England and the Great Lakes, where some gusts over 70 mph have been clocked.

Among these were a 79 mph gust clocked by a New York State mesonet station on the Skyway in downtown Buffalo, a 75 mph gust off the coast of Maine south of Acadia National Park, and a 71 mph gust in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

T​hese winds produced whiteout conditions in Buffalo, with a rarely-measured "zero visibility" observation at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport Friday, eventually forcing the airport to close.

I​n the upper Midwest and Northern Plains, snow has long since ended, but strong winds produced ground blizzard conditions a day after the snow ended with considerable blowing and drifting snow, especially in outlying areas.

E​lliott also brought significant Great Lakes lakeshore flooding, coastal flooding to parts of the Northeast seaboard, and dangerous travel impacts from a flash freeze to parts of the South and East.

T​he rapid strengthening allowed for extreme changes on Lake Erie.

T​he strong winds caused a seiche on Lake Erie. Lakeshore flooding and high waves occurred on the lake's eastern end near Hamburg, New York, while on the western end, water levels reached their lowest levels on record.

T​he waves and sea spray also froze structures on the east end of Lake Erie.

If that wasn't enough, strong winds coupled with Friday's high tide pushed water ashore along parts of the Eastern Seaboard, from the Mid-Atlantic coast to Maine.

I​n Boston, water escaped the harbor and flooded eastern parts of the city.

Water levels reached major flood stage along parts of the Jersey Shore, including Sandy Hook.​ Serious flooding was reported in Queens, Cape Cod, and along the coast of Maine.

O​n Christmas Eve, Elliot swirled near Hudson Bay while pummelling the Lake-Effect snowbelts with heavy snow, including in Buffalo.

T​he cold air pushed through Florida, where most of northern and Central Florida dropped below freezing.

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