'Bomb cyclone' anniversary: 6 years since DC region blasted with snow and high winds
WASHINGTON - Six years ago, the D.C. area was hit with a "bomb cyclone" that brought extreme cold temperatures and sub-zero wind chills to the region and closed schools in several districts.
The storm started on January 3, 2018 as an area of low pressure off the coast of the southeastern U.S. As it moved up the east coast, the storm got stronger, picking up the moniker of "Bomb Cyclone" along with unofficial names like Winter Storm Grayson, Blizzard of 2018, and Storm Brody.
Blizzard warnings were issued for Norfolk, Virginia, crawling all the way up the East Coast to Maine. Florida also saw cold temperatures and freeze watches and warnings (and the odd weather forecast of cold-stunned iguanas dropping from trees.)
In Ocean City, Maryland, was slammed with 11 inches of snow. Wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour helped pick up sand from the beaches and sent them flying into the air.
In St. Mary's County, some areas received around 6 inches of snow. D.C. itself missed a lot of the snowfall with less than an inch recorded – but didn't escape the snarled traffic thanks to ice and snow in surrounding areas.
SEE PHOTOS FROM FOX 5 VIEWERS OF THE BOMB CYCLONE OF 2018
What is a bomb cyclone?
A bomb cyclone, also known as explosive cyclogenesis or bombogenesis, is a fast-developing storm that occurs when atmospheric pressure drops at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period. Bombogenesis refers to the quickness of how fast the low pressure develops.
The intense pressure can intensify storms and cause them to spin counterclockwise, creating heavy winds, blizzard conditions and rainfall.