A large and unusually strong storm is impacting much of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. The system is being called a “bomb cyclone”. A bomb cyclone is a classification a storm system earns if its pressure drops rapidly. If a (midlatitude) cyclone’s pressure falls at least 24 millibars in 24 hours, it can be called a bomb cyclone. The large tail-like feature moving into Northern California and the Pacific Northwest is the atmospheric river.
As of 5:30 PM on Tuesday, Nov. 19, there are a number of winter and wind-related watches, warnings, and advisories in place across the Northwest. The red, pink, and purple areas represent various winner weather/storm advisories. The red area represents a relatively rare blizzard warning for the Cascade Mountains in…..