Developing bomb cyclone, atmospheric river bring chaotic winter weather to Mass.

The East Coast was beginning a whiplash-inducing stretch of weather on Wednesday that was rainy, windy and potentially dangerous, due in part to an atmospheric river and developing bomb cyclone.

Places like western Maine could see freezing rain, downpours, unseasonably high temperatures and damaging winds — all in the span of a day, said Derek Schroeter, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

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The heavy rain and fierce winds will last until Wednesday night in many areas, and flooding is possible in some places, forecasters said. Utilities were also gearing up for potential power outages from damage caused by winds that could exceed 60 mph in areas.

As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, about 7,200 Massachusetts customers had already lost power, along with another 2,200 in Rhode Island, 1,800 in Connecticut and 800 in Maine.

AAA is urging drivers to take precautions amid the heavy rain and 50 mph winds expected across the region. The storm system is expected to bring downpours during the evening commute and lead to some localized flooding.

The concern will be ponding on the roads, which could lead to hydroplaning as the rain starts to pick up. The strong winds are only going to make driving conditions worse.

“A wet road can be a treacherous road, especially with the heaviest rain and strong wind gusts predicted during the congested evening drive time,” said Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson, AAA Northeast. “As little as one-twelfth of an inch of water can cause new tires to lose traction with the road at speeds as low as 35 mph. When it rains, slow down and give yourself extra room to stop.”

Delays of about two hours were also being reported on flights arriving to Boston Logan International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. Some ferry trips have also been canceled due to the stormy weather.

And the strong winds knocked a tree onto wires on Winter Street in Walpole, which is causing some traffic delays. A damaged utility pole was also causing traffic delays on South Main Street in Uxbridge on Wednesday afternoon.

One of the key factors driving the weather is an atmospheric river, which is a long band of water vapor that can transport moisture from the tropics to more northern areas, said Schroeter, who's based in Gray, Maine.

The storm has the ability to hit New England hard because it could tap moisture from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the U.S. Southeast, and transport it to places like Maine. The state was preparing for a “multifaceted storm” that could bring two to three inches of rainfall in some areas, Schroeter said.

The region saw a combination of fog and light freezing rain on Tuesday night into early Wednesday.
Schroeter said, "we are going to be watching for the potential for flash flooding and sharp rises on streams as temperatures rise into the 50s.”

Forecasters also said the storm had the potential to include a process that meteorologists call bombogenesis, or a “bomb cyclone.” That is the rapid intensification of a cyclone in a short period of time, and it has the ability to bring severe rainfall.

Parts of the Northeast were already preparing for bad weather.

In New Hampshire, the Mount Washington Avalanche Center issued a special bulletin Wednesday for the Presidential Range of mountains, which received significant snowfall over the last two weeks.

“Heavy rainfall could create dangerous and unpredictable avalanche conditions on steep snow-covered slopes,” it said, making for unsafe conditions on stream crossings, skiing and hiking trails and bridges.
In Maine, some schools operated on a delay on Tuesday, which began with a few inches of snow. A flood watch for Vermont runs from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning.

The city of Montpelier, Vermont, was advising residents to prepare for mild flooding in the area and to elevate items in basements and low areas that are prone to flooding. The city said Tuesday that it has been in contact with the National Weather Service and Vermont Dam Safety and “will be actively monitoring the river levels as this storm passes through.”

Ski resorts around the Northeast were preparing visitors for a potentially messy day on Wednesday. Stratton Mountain Resort, in southern Vermont, posted on its website that patrons “make sure to pack your Gore-Tex gear because it’s going to be a wet one.”

Associated Press writers Lisa Rathke in Marshfield, Vermont, and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story.

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