A Bomb Cyclone Is Hitting Half the U.S. With Snow, Hail, and Rain This Week

Do you remember last year when there was all of that coverage of something called a bomb cyclone? And how it sucked a lot? Well, yet another bomb cyclone is in the process of hitting the US. And we're sorry to report that it's going to suck too.

National Weather Service
National Weather Service

Do you remember last year when there was all of that coverage of something called a bomb cyclone? And how it sucked a lot? Well, yet another bomb cyclone is in the process of hitting the US. And we're sorry to report that it's going to suck too. 

If you need a quick refresher on what a bomb cyclone is, well, it's a fun name for a storm that has undergone "bombogenesis." That's when pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours -- so basically a quick, intense drop in atmospheric pressure that brings about a seriously intense storm. 

Since Tuesday, this new storm has dropped 27 millibars, according to a report from CNN, and its pressure is currently on par with a Category 1 hurricane, though it'll soon drop to that of a Category 2 hurricane. So another way to think of this is like a winter hurricane.

The storm is expected to be so intense that the National Service issued the following warning to Boulder, Colorado "Please cancel any travel plans Wednesday afternoon and evening especially east of I-25, and stay tuned for further updates!" 

As of Wednesday, USA Today reports that the storm "set an unofficial record for lowest pressure ever measured in Pueblo, Colorado, at 975 millibars," and some areas could see gusts up to 110mph.

Currently, blizzard and winter storm warnings are active in Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota. According to CNN, all the watches, warnings, and advisories stretch over 1.5 million square miles, aka around half of the continental United States, from Mexico to Canada, and more than 55 million people are under a high wind threat. Wind, hail, and even tornadoes are being forecasted in the southern Plains and Mississippi River Valley.

So if you're in those areas, make like Denver and cancel your plans.

h/tCNN, USA Today


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James Chrisman is a News Writer at Thrillist. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @james_chrisman2.