A storm packing inches of rain, feet of snow and damaging winds will all affect areas from Oregon to Northern California and Washington as a combination atmospheric river and bomb cyclone take aim.
A major storm will pummel areas from Washington to Oregon and Northern California with torrential rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds this week, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
Due to low-elevation flooding and blizzard conditions in the mountains, widespread travel impacts are expected while powerful gusts can knock down trees and power lines over a broad area.
The storm will strengthen so fast that it will fit into a special category of weather terminology known as a bomb cyclone. A storm, or cyclone, is essentially a giant spinning vacuum in the atmosphere. When a storm’s central pressure drops 0.71 of an inch of mercury inches (24 millibars) or more in 24 hours or less, it is considered to be a bomb cyclone…