Most snow in years, blizzard conditions possible in parts of Southeast from powerful bomb cyclone
By CNN Meteorologists Briana Waxman, Chris Dolce
(CNN) — A rapidly strengthening winter storm, known as a bomb cyclone, is less than 24 hours away from delivering an unusual amount of snow, damaging winds and dangerous coastal flooding to parts of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.
Impacts will begin late Friday into Saturday, with snow and hurricane-force wind gusts possibly whipping up blizzard conditions along parts of the North Carolina and Virginia coasts by Saturday night. Coastal New England, particularly eastern Massachusetts, could see snow and wind later in the weekend if the storm tracks closer to shore.
The storm is expected to form near the North Carolina coast late Friday before rapidly strengthening as it moves north Saturday, a process known as bombogenesis. As the bomb cyclone intensifies, it will draw very cold air southward, allowing snow to fall across areas that don’t often see significant winter weather. This will also increase its winds, particularly along the coast.
More than 27 million people in the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Appalachians are under winter storm warnings, including parts of northern Georgia, the Carolinas, southern Virginia, eastern Tennessee and eastern Kentucky. Many of these areas are still recovering from last weekend’s deadly winter storm, which left snow and ice-covered roads, widespread travel disruptions and protracted power outages.
State transportation departments in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia started prepping and pretreating roads while airlines and airports, plagued by cancellations during the last storm, warned of more potential disruptions.
Heavy snow for winter-weary Southeast
Snow is expected to pile up in parts of the southern Appalachians, Georgia, the Carolinas and southern Virginia late Friday night into Saturday as the storm rapidly strengthens offshore.
The most impactful snowfall is expected across central and eastern North Carolina and central and northeast South Carolina into southern Virginia, where 5 to 10 inches of snow are projected. Locally higher totals are possible if narrow bands of heavy snow develop.
Columbia, South Carolina, could see its heaviest snow since a February 2010 storm dropped 8.6 inches on the state capital.
Raleigh, North Carolina, needs just 2.7 inches to see its biggest snowstorm since December 2018, but its predicted total is about twice that.
Wilmington, North Carolina, could see at least 3 inches from a storm for the first time in 8 years. A total of at least 5 inches would be a first there in more than two decades.
A state of emergency has been issued for all of Georgia by Governor Brian Kemp to allow resources to be moved more easily and staged across impacted areas.
Farther west, accumulating snow is also expected across parts of western South Carolina and into northern and eastern Georgia, where temperatures will remain cold enough for snow. Totals in these areas are generally expected to be lower, but even an inch or less of snow would be disruptive in places like Atlanta that rarely see winter weather.
Very cold air already in place will help snow to accumulate quickly across the region, sticking to roads, bridges and untreated surfaces with little melting. Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once snow begins, and hazardous road conditions could persist through early next week after the snow tapers off.
Powerful winds could create blizzard conditions
As the storm rapidly intensifies offshore, powerful winds will significantly worsen impacts across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
The strongest winds are expected near the coast, where gusts could approach hurricane force, or 75 miles per hour, along parts of the North Carolina and Virginia shoreline by Saturday night. Blizzard conditions are possible where these winds coincide with heavy snow and create near-zero visibility and extremely dangerous travel. The Outer Banks of North Carolina and into southeast Virginia are the epicenters for this.
Farther inland, strong and persistent winds will still pose serious problems. Gusts of 25 to 35 mph are expected from Georgia through the Carolinas and into southern Virginia, with higher gusts possible at times. These winds will cause dry, powdery snow to blow and drift, sharply reducing visibility and making travel hazardous even after snowfall rates decrease.
Gusty winds could also extend into coastal New England later in the weekend, especially if the storm remains closer to the coast.
Coastal flood threat amplified by high tides
Powerful onshore winds will coincide with some of the highest tides of the month, increasing the risk of moderate to locally significant coastal flooding, particularly during high tide cycles late Saturday into Sunday.
The greatest concern is along the North Carolina Outer Banks and into the Virginia Tidewater region, where strong winds, high surf and beach erosion could lead to overwash and flooding in vulnerable coastal communities.
More than two dozen beachfront homes have been lost in the Outer Banks since 2020, including several in recent months, as storms and rising sea levels reshape the coastline.
Flooding and rough marine conditions are also possible in parts of coastal New England if the storm tracks closer to shore.
While confidence is high that this storm will occur, small shifts in its track could significantly change impacts, particularly in New England, so stay tuned to the latest local forecasts.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
