In December 2022, the eastern United States experienced a sudden and intense white Christmas. Frigid air from the Arctic rapidly plunged to lower latitudes, reaching as far south as Texas and Florida. The supercharged storm also brought freezing temperatures, snow, and ice to much of the central and eastern US.
This animated map from NASA Earth Observatory highlights the bomb cyclone in vibrant detail. It uses data from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) global model to map surface temperatures.
The video shows how temperatures fluctuated from December 1, 2022, through January 2, 2023. On the map, reds indicate warmer temperatures, while freezing temperatures are white and blue. The video orients the map so you can focus on the Arctic and how colder temperatures bleed into the rest of North America.
Throughout much of December, you can see the daily rhythm of temperatures. They warm in the day and cool at night. The polar vortex keeps cold air circulating around northern latitudes. Around December 22, the pattern abruptly changes.
As the polar vortex weakens, a bomb cyclone appears. Bombogenesis, or bomb cyclones, occur when a sudden drop in pressure leads to the rapid intensification and strengthening of storms. In this instance, a burst of Arctic air sweeps south toward the Gulf of Mexico, blanketing swathes of the US in freezing temperatures.
By December 30, the polar vortex snaps back, pulling cold air back north. In its place, a surge of warmer air arrives, bringing record highs across the eastern US. During that week, temperatures swung as much as 30 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.
Bomb cyclones are relatively rare climate events. But when they happen, they can cause widespread chaos and weather impacts. Maps like this can help us better understand how and where these uncommon weather events occur. They also provide insights into how a changing climate continues to alter typical weather patterns.
More to Explore
- Explore other instances of bomb cyclones dating back to 1993.
- Discover how winter snow patterns changed in the US in 2023.
