The season’s first nor’easter barreled into Massachusetts, bringing with it the risk of flooding and wind damage.
The storm picked up intensity Tuesday evening and continued into Wednesday with wind gusts topping 90 mph in at least one community.
By Wednesday evening the storm, which was officially categorized as a “bomb cyclone” finally began to dissipate and move back out over the ocean.
A “bomb cyclone” is just a storm that develops and intensifies very quickly. These types of storms happen when air near Earth’s surface rises quickly in the atmosphere and triggers a sudden drop in barometric pressure. It must be at least 24 millibars — a unit of pressure measurement– within 24 hours.
Nantucket where some of the highest wind gusts were recorded, fell 28 millibars in 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
Air flows from high to low pressure and with a “bomb cyclone,” the lower pressure sinks even deeper creating a stronger storm.
The highest wind gusts recorded in the Bay State as of 6 a.m. were in Edgartown at 94 mph, followed by Scituate at 87 mph, Duxbury at 84 mph, and Dennis at 84 mph.
The last bomb cyclone occurred on Oct. 17, 2019.
A wind advisory does remain in effect for parts of Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties. All wind warnings have since expired.
For the latest weather updates, visit the 7Weather page.
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