Winter Storm Orson Looked Like a Hurricane as It 'Bombed Out'

Winter Storm Orson was a powerful nor'easter that brought as much as 40 inches of snow to parts of Maine and over a foot of snow to portions of upstate New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire Sunday and Monday, but upon closer examination, it almost looked like a hurricane.

Wind gusts were as high as 72 mph in White Plains, New York, and at Joint Base Andrews across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., as this powerful area of low pressure strengthened off the New England coast.

(MORE: Winter Storm Central)

Orson underwent an ominous-sounding process known as "bombogenesis," which requires a drop in pressure of at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. This storm's central pressure met that criterion within 15 hours from late Sunday into Monday morning.

This rapid strengthening provided some very impressive satellite imagery on Monday. Winter Storm Orson nearly resembled a hurricane, with a well-defined center of circulation and a comma-shaped storm structure.

(MORE: Orson Underwent Bombogenesis)

The water vapor satellite image below, from around 9 p.m. EST Monday night, is one of the most stunning views of Winter Storm Orson.

This water vapor loop was shared by Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist at WCNC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina. A clearly defined center of circulation is evident in the loop, similar to the eye of a hurricane.

NOAA shared this visible loop from their brand-new high-resolution GOES-16 satellite, showing the evolution and movement of Orson on Monday.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Winter Storm Orson