A powerful winter storm system, which rapidly intensified into a bomb cyclone, has unleashed heavy snow, strong winds, and frigid temperatures across large parts of the United States, causing major disruption from the Great Lakes to the north-east.
Widespread Power Cuts and Treacherous Travel
The storm, which struck parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday 29 December 2025, brought a dangerous mix of sharply colder air, strong winds, snow, and ice. This led to perilous travel conditions and significant power outages. By Tuesday morning, more than 120,000 customers were without power nationwide, with nearly a third of those affected located in Michigan.
Forecasters confirmed the system intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a term for a storm that strengthens rapidly as atmospheric pressure drops sharply. As the core of the storm moved into Canada, the National Weather Service warned of further inclement weather for the eastern US, including fast-moving snow squalls.
Record Snowfall and Destructive Winds
Areas in western and upstate New York were buried under a foot or more of snow on Monday, with forecasts predicting totals could reach up to 3ft (91cm) in some locations by the end of the week. The winds were particularly destructive, with an 81 mph (130 km/h) gust recorded in Buffalo, New York, knocking down trees and power lines across the region.
Social media videos captured the severity of the conditions, showing people struggling to walk in the gales and a waterway in downtown Buffalo clogged with debris from a windblown surge off Lake Erie. In Lackawanna, just south of Buffalo, Diane Miller was filmed being blown off her daughter's front steps by the ferocious winds.
"I opened her door and the wind caught me, and I went flying," Miller told WKBW-TV, after landing in a bush without serious injury.
Dramatic Effects on the Great Lakes
The fierce winds had a dramatic impact on the Great Lakes. On Lake Erie, water was pushed towards the eastern end near Buffalo, while simultaneously lowering water levels on the western side in Michigan so drastically that normally submerged lakebeds were exposed. Kevin Aldrich, 33, from Monroe, Michigan, said he spotted remnants of 1830s piers and even a car wreck.
"Where those are at would typically be probably 12ft deep," he said. On Lake Superior, waves were expected to reach 20ft (6 meters), forcing nearly all cargo ships to seek shelter in harbours.
While meteorologist Andrew Orrison stated that "the worst does seem to be over," officials continued to urge caution. New York governor Kathy Hochul warned residents in impacted areas to "avoid all unnecessary travel." Meanwhile, on the West Coast, strong Santa Ana winds brought down trees in southern California, and there is a threat of rain disrupting the New Year's Day Rose Parade in Pasadena.
