Winter storm could become bomb cyclone over Great Lakes and Northeast. Maps show latest forecast.

A powerful storm system currently producing heavy snow, rain and strong winds across parts of the northern United States could become a “bomb cyclone” over the Great Lakes and Northeast regions, forecasters said.

Abomb cycloneis defined as a storm that rapidly intensifies, as measured by a large decrease in its atmospheric pressure over 24 hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In this case, meteorologists warned that a frigid Arctic front plunging downward into the middle of the country could clash with warm air in the South and potentially cause a range of hazardous conditions, from snowstorms to thunderstorms, along with unusually cold temperatures.

Maps show the winter storm forecast

The winter storm on Monday is sweeping across the Great Lakes and moving into the Northeast, bringing blizzard conditions, lake-enhanced snow, high winds and an icy concoction of freezing rain, CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said. That will be followed by a spell of light rainfall through Tuesday morning.

Several metropolitan areas are in the path of the storm, including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City,Bostonand New Orleans, as well as Buffalo and Syracuse, New York. Some areas could see upward of 6 to 10 inches of snow by Tuesday as a result of the wintry system.

Along with snow, interior spots in New England should prepare for ice to accumulate, with close to 1 inch possible in certain places, forecasters said. Other areas could receive up to 2 inches of rainfall, while wind gusts could also reach 65 or 75 mph as the storm rolls through.

A surge of cold air is due to arrive behind the cold front, which will allow lake effect snowfall to pile up, potentially reaching 1 to 2 feet in pockets of Michigan and upstate New York.

Farther out from the Great Lakes themselves, a wider strip of the Upper Midwest and Northeast is expected to see between 1 and 6 inches of snow, with lower snowfall totals forecast for places as far south as Kentucky and West Virginia.

Map shows winter weather alerts and warnings

Millions remained under various winter weather alerts and warnings as the storm traveled eastward on Monday, including blizzard warnings in effect for sections of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and ice storm warnings in place for parts of upstate New York and Vermont, according to the National Weather Service.

A flurry of winter storm warnings also remained active through Tuesday in many of those same areas, in addition to broader sections of the Midwest and Northeast, from Wisconsin up to Maine.

High wind alerts were issued for more than 114 million people across the eastern U.S. as the cold front moves in.