The East coast U.S. just experienced one, leaving much of the area covered in snow.
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00:00Some parts of the U.S. have recently experienced what are often called bomb
00:08cyclones. And while the phraseology is evocative, what exactly are bomb
00:12cyclones? ScienceAlert reports that it's when a cyclonic weather system goes
00:16through a process of bombogenesis. That's really what it's called by the way. A
00:19process where cyclonic weather events are exacerbated by extreme barometric
00:23pressure drops over a short period of time. This often provides more ingredients
00:27for severe weather events. And the U.S. East Coast is a haven for these types of
00:31weather patterns. The Atlantic Seaboard has a contrast of cold land
00:34temperatures and warm Gulf Stream currents. This temperature differential
00:38reaches bomb cyclone potential when the lower atmosphere becomes less
00:41predictable as the warm air rises, creating clouds that can dump massive
00:44amounts of precipitation. And what are called jet streaks can make things even
00:48worse. Jet streaks can force more air upwards, which according to ScienceAlert
00:52creates a feedback loop by dropping the pressure at the center of the cyclone,
00:55allowing the outer winds to become even more severe as the environment attempts
00:59to equalize atmospheric pressure overall.