(CNN)A massive “bombogenesis” will wreak havoc on the Northeast this week, threatening hurricane-force winds in a region already crippled by deadly cold.
The bombogenesis — an area of low pressure that drops significantly in 24 hours — will result in what’s known as a “bomb cyclone.” And the bomb cyclone, expected to strike Thursday, will likely dump 6 to 12 inches of snow in New England, which will be driven by 40- to 60-mph wind gusts.
But it’s not just New England suffering winter’s wrath. Freezing rain, sleet and snow will smother parts of the Southeast on Wednesday.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal issued a state of emergency Tuesday for 28 coastal counties ahead of the storm.
Authorities are urging people to stay home as millions in the eastern half of the US face below- and near-freezing temperatures Wednesday.
Many schools canceled classes and government offices closed across the Florida Panhandle and along the entire east coast shoreline.
Florida, southern Georgia and the coastal Carolinas will get a few inches of snow plus some ice before the storm turns into a monster storm, dropping heavy snowfall along the Mid-Atlantic coast and into the Northeast, forecasters say.