Winter storm 2018: ‘bomb cyclone’ will bring snow, bitter cold to NYC (updated)

Update, 1/4/17: This week’s winter storm has officially descended on New York City, and has brought major changes to schools, streets, airports, and commutes. For the latest, head right this way.

If you thought the polar vortex was bad, just you wait: the East Coast, including New York City, is set to get hit by freezing cold (yes, even worse than it has been these past few days) and inclement weather in the next few days. Meteorologists have dubbed the impending storm a—get this—“bomb cyclone.”

It’s not as terrifying as it sounds; according to the Washington Post, the phrase is used because the storm’s “pressure is predicted to fall so fast, an indicator of explosive strengthening.” But still: bomb cyclone! Those are two words that should not be combined into one alarming phrase!

Absurdity of the whole “bomb cyclone” thing aside, this week’s winter storm is going to be a doozy: There’s a winter storm watch in effect for New York City, and according to AccuWeather, snow is expected to hit the five boroughs by early tomorrow morning. The National Weather Service predicts that anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow could blanket the city, though those numbers could go higher closer to the coast. (The Hamptons, for instance, is bracing for possible blizzard conditions.) There could also be wind gusts of up to 45 mph.

Mayor Bill de Blasio noted in a press conference that the heaviest snowfall will be during the AM rush hour on Thursday, with “blizzard-like” conditions, so keep that in mind when you’re preparing for your commute. “If you don’t need to be on the road, you shouldn’t…if you don’t need to be walking around in these conditions, please don’t,” he said.

And that’s not all: Once the snow passes, which it’s expected to do by late Thursday, the city will be plunged into a deep freeze. Per the Washington Post, temperatures could be up to 40 degrees below what they normally are this time of year; in NYC, that means brace for highs in the teens, and lows that could go below zero.

Per De Blasio’s latest presser, the wind chill on Friday evening could be negative 20 degrees. Get those space heaters now, people.

The city’s Department of Homeless Services has put Code Blue service into effect beginning at 4 p.m., which opens up shelter accommodations to more homeless New Yorkers in need.

OEM has now issued a hazardous travel advisory related to this storm, with more details on how the city will respond to the storm: Per the advisory, the NYC Department of Sanitation is “pre-deploying 693 salt spreaders. PlowNYC will be activated and 1500 plows will be dispatched when more than two inches of snow accumulates, with additional plows available if necessary.” Alternate side parking has also been suspended tomorrow, though meters will still be in effect.

The MTA’s various Twitter accounts will have updates on how the snow/cold might affect service, as will those of NYC Ferry and other services. The Port Authority had this to say about their services:

Customers can access up-to-date information on conditions at Port Authority facilities on the Port Authority’s website by clicking here, which includes live feeds of its respective social media channels. In addition to the website, travelers also are encouraged to sign up for Port Authority alerts athttp://www.paalerts.com/ or follow @PANYNJ. Travelers may also call 511 or visit 511NY.org or 511NJ.org for further information on highway conditions.

We’ll keep you posted as conditions change.