When we first wrote about bomb cyclones a year or so ago, it was in the fall and the expected precipitation was rain over areas that had been stripped of vegetation by droughts and wildfires. At the time, significant rain and flooding were predicted for the area.

Bomb cyclone

A bomb cyclone is a storm that develops very quickly. When a storm's atmospheric pressure drops very quickly, the storm picks up more air and strength, becoming stronger faster producing a bomb cyclone. To be considered a bomb cyclone, the pressure must drop 24 millibars in 24 hours. The process of this rapid drop in pressure is called bombogenesis. Remember, the lower the barometric pressure, the stronger the storm. Strong storms create large amounts of rain, which can create another problem: flooding.

Currently, a storm more than 1,000 miles wide is headed across the United States, mixing with cold arctic air to cause rapidly falling temperatures, as much as 40 degrees in some areas. In some areas, that drop may occur over 5 to 6 hours. Along with the temperature drop, strong wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour are expected.