Weather security

Is Winter Storm Stella a “Weather Bomb”?




s Winter Storm Stella continues walloping the northeast U.S. today, meteorologists and the media keep referring to the storm as a “weather bomb.” Though the term doesn’t sound very technical, it turns out a weather bomb is an actual meteorological event, and Stella is expected to reach “bomb” status by this evening.

According to Brian Donegan at Weather.com, a storm is classified as a weather bomb after it has undergone bombogenesis—a process that begins with cyclogenesis, or development of a low pressure region. In bombogenesis, two air masses with large temperature differences meet, resulting in a large drop in pressure which triggers an intense weather system like a nor’easter or, in winter, a massive blizzard. To be officially classified as a weather bomb, the pressure needs to drop 24 millibars in 24 hours, writes Donegan.

Between 11 P.M. last night and 5 A.M this morning Stella’s pressure dropped from 1003 millibars to 992. It’s expected to reach 979 millibars this evening, which will push it into the bomb category, Donegan reports.