TYLER, Texas — You're likely going to hear the term Bomb Cyclone or Bombogenesis at some point this week.
That's because there is a powerful storm moving into the pacific northwest. This term sounds scary but these terms to describe a rapidly intensifying storm.
The term isn't new. There is some evidence the term was first mentioned as far back as 1940. Fred Sanders and John Gyakum wrote an article in the Monthly Weather Review that defined a "bomb cyclone and helped popularize the phrase."
But what is a bomb cyclone?
A "bomb cyclone" is simply a storm with a barometric pressure drop over 24 or more millibars in a 24 hour period. That can happen when cold air masses collide with warm air masses. Another term you may hear is bombogenesis which is the rapid intensification of the storm.
This storm also comes with an "atmospheric river". Strong atmospheric rivers can bring water vapor equivalent to seven and half to 15 times the average flow of the Mississippi river. Every year, a third to half of the west coast's precipitation can be attributed to "atmospheric river" events.
So this week when you hear the terms "Bomb Cyclone" and "Atmospheric River" don't be alarmed, these are relatively common terms that have been around for decades.
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