Storm that dumped snow in Virginia mountains is now a powerhouse Atlantic tempest, with an eye.

'A powerful storm dropped a sneaky snowfall on the Appalachians from Tuesday into Wednesday. Since then, the potent cyclone has blossomed into a hurricane-strength whirlwind over the Atlantic, taking on some subtropical characteristics and even developing what resembles an eye.

Snow fell at elevations above 2,000 feet not only in Virginia but in North Carolina and West Virginia from Tuesday into Wednesday. Falling into the morning of April 1, some wondered if it was an April Fools’ joke. However, while on the late side, April snow in the Appalachians is not terribly uncommon.

Unusually cold air for this time of year enabled the high-elevation snow. The chilly air streamed into the eastern United States thanks to a sharp dip in the jet stream. For much of the winter such dips were rare, but a large and historically intense zone of high pressure sprawled over northern Canada and Greenland helped shove the jet stream southward. . .

For many in the lower elevations of the Mid-Atlantic, the storm passed with little fanfare during the midweek, except for some rain. But as soon as the core moved over warmer Atlantic waters, it began developing quickly — lashing the Outer Banks of the Carolinas with ferociously strong winds as it departed. . .

While not as intense as conditions in the Outer Banks, winds are very gusty in the storm’s wake Thursday all throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and are forecast to remain that way through Friday.

The strong winds signaled an intensifying storm that blossomed over the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream on Wednesday. The system even developed half a ring of strong thunderstorms surrounding its center of circulation, a trait common in tropical and subtropical storms.'>>>

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/04/02/atlantic-ocean-storm-appalachian-snow/?