Could Stella Be a Weather Bomb Of The Northeast Coast?
Not to say that we’re against snowflakes, but the wintern storm known as Stella really hit the upper Midwest and took everyone by surprise. According to the Weather Channel, this might just undergo bombogenesis! If that doesn’t say anything to you, the term refers to a combination between a cyclone and a bomb – and if that doesn’t make you a bit worried either, keep reading.
As meterologists (as well as locals) observed, this winter storm intensified very rapidly because its center moves out over the ocean. As meteorologist Jeff Haby explains, bonbogenesis are most likely to happen when a cold continental air mass and warm ocean waters meet.
#Bombogenesis: Could Winter Storm #Stella become a weather "bomb" off the Northeast coast? https://t.co/bF8CUQ9da0 pic.twitter.com/Kh2kht8eZL
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) March 12, 2017
Officially, bombogenesis happen when the central barometric pressure of a storm drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. As the pressure gets lower, the storm becomes even more powerful.
In this case, the cause is the very big contrast between the polar air coming over the eastern U.S. and the much warmer Gulf Stream waters, so get ready, New Yorkers, because this is far from being over!