Snowpocalypse pounds U.S. east coast December 2010

A ‘snowpocalypse’ blizzard pounded the U.S. east coast over the 2010 Christmas weekend. The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for coastal New England, including New York City. Snowstorms have grounded hundreds of flights along the Northeast corridor of the U.S. and caused many auto crashes.

The reason for the severe winter weather both in the U.S. and Europe comes mainly from a high-pressure system of air over Greenland, reports Ars Technica. It has cycled cold Arctic air into Europe, while drawing warmer air from North America and melting sea ice. This blocking from the North Atlantic has helped amplify a n’oreaster, which has dumped much snow from the ‘snowpocalypse’ over the U.S. East coast.