TL/DR –
North Carolina has been impacted by two major winter storms in a short time span, with the second storm rapidly intensifying into a “bomb cyclone” that brought heavy snow and severe winds. The storms prompted utility companies, such as Duke Energy, to request residents to reduce power consumption to avoid outages. The extreme weather conditions may be influenced by climate change, as it weakens the jet stream allowing colder Arctic air to move south, and it is also straining the aging power infrastructure, resulting in more weather-related power outages.
North Carolina’s power grid is under strain due to consecutive winter storms.
Visible signs of another winter storm were prominent across North Carolina, with snow accumulating, untreated roads, and utility crews preparing for further outages. This is the state’s second significant winter storm in quick succession.
A storm system, known as a “bomb cyclone” to meteorologists, had a severe impact on the East Coast over the weekend. It caused heavy snow, strong winds, and unsafe travel conditions from the Carolinas to New England, marking it as a notable snow event in recent history.
Photo credit: Jordin from Martin County captures the bomb cyclone winter storm on Saturday afternoon.
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The bomb cyclone followed Winter Storm Fern, which already caused residents to deal with ice and sleet. These consecutive extremes compelled utility companies like Duke Energy to scramble and urge North Carolinians to reduce power usage and avoid further outages.
What is a “bomb cyclone?”
A bomb cyclone is a weather term for a rapidly intensifying low-pressure storm. Weather experts define it as a system whose central pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. This process, referred to as “bombogenesis” by the National Ocean Service, results in high winds, heavy precipitation, and sudden changes in conditions.
Climate change’s influence on this storm
While climate change doesn’t directly cause storms, it does affect their frequency and intensity. According to climate scientists interviewed by The New York Times, a warming Arctic could be altering the jet stream, which generally keeps cold air near the North Pole. This phenomenon may be increasing the likelihood of prolonged cold spells in the Southeast and contributing to the formation of bomb cyclones.
Power outages and infrastructure strain
Over the weekend, heavy snow and wind resulted in power outages in thousands of households in the Carolinas. In fact, a recent WRAL report noted that since 2000, North Carolina has had more than 111 major weather-related power outages, ranking fourth in the nation. Consecutive storms like Fern and the bomb cyclone exacerbate these issues, stressing aging infrastructure and limiting restoration and reinforcement time for utility companies.
Part of a bigger pattern
Meteorologists view this storm as part of a broader pattern of increasingly volatile winter weather across the eastern United States. In North Carolina, this could mean less recovery time between storms for communities, utilities, and infrastructure.
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