An especially strong jet stream over the Pacific Ocean is spinning off a series of weather systems, including a massive “bomb cyclone,” that will keep us wet through the rest of next week, local meteorologists said.
Each of the systems off the coast, according to Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik, an agricultural meteorologist at Washington State University, would have its own front and centre. He believes that for many people, the weather would simply feel like constant fall rain.
This one, the first in the series, will stay north of the coast. According to Mary Butwin of the National Weather Service in Seattle, it will bring rain to most of Western Washington and high winds of up to 40 mph along the northern interior waterway.
“What is remarkable is how big it is in scale, how deep the center is and the speed with which it goes from an open wave to a super intense low pressure system,” Boomgard-Zagrodnik said. “Meaning it seems to explode out of nowhere.”
This “massive system” has the classic comma shape of a cyclone, a very low pressure middle and “frontal bands spiraling out hundreds of miles from the center,” he said.
Some areas further inland may see a brief respite from the rain between the first and second systems, which are predicted to reach Thursday, but most along the coast will not, according to Butwin.
She expects the second system to remain through the weekend, with a chance of thunder Friday and prolonged showers.
The second system should last through the weekend with a chance of thunder Friday and lingering showers, she said.
The third system, which is expected to arrive on Monday, is likely to be “the same story,” Butwin said. But the fourth, expected Tuesday or Wednesday, could bring the snow level lower, allowing snow accumulation in the mountains, she said.
What is a “bomb” cylone?
As we progress into winter, you will likely hear the term “bombogenesis” or “bomb” cyclone used time and time again. While this name may seem sensationalized, it is in fact a legitimate meteorological term. Bombogenesis refers to a cyclone, or low pressure system, with a rapidly deepening barometric pressure. The criteria is a 24 millibar pressure drop over the course of 24 hours.
