The ominous name “bomb cyclone” comes from a process called explosive cyclogenesis, or bombogenesis, in which a weather system undergoes a rapid drop in pressure.
Bombogenesis occurs “when a mid-latitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
A millibar measures atmospheric pressure. A drop in pressure in a system equals strengthening of the system.
Such weather systems in the northern hemisphere are centers of low pressure. When the pressure drops, the storms get stronger. When they drop in such a dramatic fashion over a short period of time, the results are equally dramatic.
Think of it as a winter hurricane.
Bomb cyclones can be life-threatening. Conditions can impact visibility, making travel difficult and dangerous. Wind chill can intensify already bitterly cold temperatures, and power outages may knock out heating systems.