Why the bomb cyclone hitting the East Coast is so unusual

PLUS: Tesla Model 3 delays, unjust voter ID laws, and why you absolutely must get a password manager. [View this email in your browser]( [logo]( [[WIRED Magazine]1.4.18]( Winter Storm Grayson—which is currently sweeping up the East Coast—is [no ordinary bomb cyclone](. And yes, there are ordinary bomb cyclones: They happen about 10 times a year in the northern hemisphere, whenever central pressure drops 24 millibars or more in 24 hours. But this storm is something else: A triple threat of tropical moisture, a low pressure trough in the upper atmosphere, and subzero arctic air that has escaped from the North Pole. “This storm is a synoptic meteorologist’s dream,” says Paul Huttner, who watches the weather for Minnesota Public Radio. “It’s a perfect alignment of the three things we look for.” But, as science writer [Megan Molteni]( explains, there might be a much larger force at work here too—climate change. “The global ocean is as warm now as it has ever been,” says Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. “The main consequence of that is that winter storms can dump much bigger snowfalls if they combine with cold air.” Also: Why it’s time to stop stalling and [get a password manager]( how [a simple algorithm]( proved voter ID laws really are unjust, and why Tesla is [delaying Model 3 production](. Perfect Storm Why the Bomb Cyclone Hitting the East Coast Is So Unusual By Megan Molteni “The coldest air on the planet just happened to slide over Northeast America. And with this incredible moisture feed we’ve now got a huge temperature contrast. And generally speaking, the stronger the temperature contrast, the deeper the storm.” security Get a Password Manager. No More Excuses. By Lily Hay Newman Autofilling is convenient for safe sites but has never been ideal security hygiene—especially now that researchers have found third-party scripts built to prey on the autofill feature, harvesting email addresses for advertising and user tracking. elections A Dead-Simple Algorithm Reveals the Toll of Voter ID Laws By Issie Lapowsky The algorithm shows a clear and disturbing racial disparity on voting rights. But researchers say that it also shows that voter ID laws affect a relatively small percentage of the population. Autos Tesla Delays Its Model 3 Production Goals—Again By Jack Stewart In its latest report, Tesla says it is focusing on quality and efficiency, rather than just pushing for the max volume in the shortest time, and so is aiming for a production speed of 2,500 Model 3s per week by March, and double that by the end of June. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [Ad Choices]( [WIRED Magazine Subscription] Get Wired Don't Let the Future Leave You Behind. Get 12 Months of WIRED Magazine for Just $5. SUBSCRIBE NOW vulnerabilities A Critical Intel Flaw Breaks Basic Security for Most PCs By Andy Greenberg Meltdown allows malicious programs to gain access to higher-privileged parts of a computer's memory; Spectre steals data from the memory of other applications running on a machine. Product Review GoRuck’s GR1 Backpack Answers the Call of Duty—for a Price By Adrienne So Inspired by a Special Forces medic’s bag, the GR1 can comfortably carry everything you need. Photo Gallery These Theme Parks Are Abandoned But Not Forgotten By Michael Hardy For the past several years the photographer has been crisscrossing the country photographing abandoned houses, factories, shopping malls, and other images of national decline. His work resonates with Americans on both sides of the political aisle. Wheels & Deals America's Hottest Robocar Startup Hooks Up with VW, Hyundai By Alex Davies By getting hitched to Volkswagen, Aurora will be able to bring “mobility as a service” to urban areas, meaning an Uber-like service, minus the Uber human drivers. Gear 9 Sneaky Ways to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions By Adrienne So As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, you solemnly vowed to improve yourself in 2018. But now, as usual, it's getting harder and harder to not retreat into your slothful ways. Follow these tips to become a better, smarter, and healthier you with the help of some new hardware and software. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [AdChoices]( [WIRED Magazine]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, [wired@newsletters.wired.com]( to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2017. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.