CLEVELAND, Ohio — A powerful storm system is set to intensify into a bomb cyclone as it tracks across the Midwest toward the Great Lakes this weekend, bringing high winds, heavy precipitation and hazardous travel conditions through Monday, according to WTOL 11.

The cold front follows a system that barreled across the Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes with sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain, leading to treacherous travel. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops.

A powerful storm tearing across the US could transform into a “bomb cyclone” over the Great Lakes and the Northeast right in time for New Year’s travel, forecasters warned.

As the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region faces heavy snow and strong winds, thousands remain without power in Michigan.

Such rapidly strengthening storms are capable of producing heavy rain, blizzard conditions and intense winds that can create dangerous conditions such as downed trees and power outages.