This week’s hazardous blizzard will transform into a bomb cyclone as it strikes the Midwest and Great Lakes later this week. As it moves toward the East Coast, it will also bring severe winds, causing a travel nightmare for millions ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend.
“bomb cyclone” is derived from the meteorological terms “bombogenesis” or “explosive cyclogenesis.”
This occurs when the central pressure of a storm system lowers by at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. A low-pressure system that reaches this threshold is referred to as a “bomb cyclone.” The phrase “bomb out” is also used by meteorologists to describe this phenomena.
The rapid decrease in air pressure results in a rapid intensification of the storm, which can produce significant effects such as heavy snow, rainfall, severe winds, and coastal floods.
Bomb cyclones are more prevalent in the Pacific Ocean, but they can also occur in the Atlantic.
“Bombogenesis is rather widespread in the Pacific Ocean region because there is sufficient ocean surface area for intensification. Stephen McCloud, a FOX Weather meteorologist, remarked, “It has occurred a few times along the Atlantic coast, but it is not as common there.”
“Predicting this phenomenon is quite challenging, particularly when forecast model runs alter.” Typically, this occurs in real-world settings. When bombogenesis occurs, it is easy to identify, especially via satellite,” he continued.
Not all bomb cyclones occur in the autumn and winter. A research published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology examined 783 bomb cyclones in the Pacific Ocean over the course of 15 years.
The analysis indicated that 69% of bomb cyclones occurred between December and February or early March. According to studies, the storm’s location in the Pacific determines its periodicity, with a peak in March and a second peak in October, November, and December.
»When storms “bomb out”: The formation of a bomb cyclone«