A monster storm is headed for the East Coast, but don't worry, it's only expected to become a [squints at notes] "bomb cyclone" https://t.co/tLjbbRCQiD
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 2, 2018
OMG. I burst out laughing reading that tweet this morning — the sort of involuntary laughter of fear and dread so stupendous that you have no way of processing it except with a horrified disgorgement of noises hovering somewhere between laughing and sobbing.
The term "bomb cyclone" comes from the meteorological term "bombogenesis," which refers to a midlatitude area of low pressure that drops significantly and rapidly — at least 24 millibars over 24 hours.
This particular bomb cyclone is expected to drop snow and ice all along the East Coast, even in parts of Florida, with as much as a foot of snow destined for parts of New England, accompanied by winds of up to 70mph.
At the WaPo, Jason Samenow writes: "By Thursday, the exploding storm will, in many ways, resemble a winter hurricane." Uhh.
This is the kind of storm that is incredibly dangerous in multiple ways, in lots of different areas. In warmer states, where there isn't snow and ice removal machinery or salt reserves, driving can become incredibly dangerous. In colder states, the combination of snow, sleet, and wind can create ice that weighs down electrical lines and knocks out electricity right when people need their heating systems the most.
This system sounds like it's going to be a real fucker. If you're in its way, I hope you are able to stay safe and warm.
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