Satellite Image Reveals Staggering ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Hammering the Pacific Northwest

Behold, the majesty and terrifying powerfulness of the extratropical cyclone that swept implicit the Pacific Northwest this week.

The outer representation supra shows the cyclone arsenic it appeared connected November 19, 2024, swirling with hurricane-force winds and rain. It reveals the distinctive comma-shaped clouds of the extratropical cyclone and the atmospheric stream that volition proceed to douse the portion done Friday. But moreover, the outer representation showcases the important size of the rapidly intensified system.

As atmospheric pressures successful the halfway of the strategy dropped, its upwind speeds picked up rapidly, according to a NASA Earth Observatory release. The storms’ intensification was much than treble what’s indispensable to represent bombogenesis—a precise chill sanction for erstwhile an mean cyclone becomes a weaponry cyclone (basically, a cyclone from retired of nowhere).

The cyclone knocked down trees and powerfulness lines crossed the Pacific Northwest, leaving astir 600,000 radical without powerfulness successful Washington authorities alone. According to BC Hydro, astir 30,000 radical were without powerfulness successful British Columbia arsenic of this morning; astir 320,000 customers were primitively affected by the windstorm. According to CNN, the cyclone killed astatine slightest 2 people.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s JPSS-1 outer took the image—specifically, that satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite. The sheer size and determination of the tempest harkens backmost to an atmospheric river that swept into the Gulf of Alaska from the Pacific backmost successful September, causing respective inches of rainfall successful parts of Alaska and British Columbia. An atmospheric stream is precisely what it sounds like: an airborne corridor of moisture that carries rainfall crossed a immense swath of the ground.

Atmospheric rivers person circumstantial dimensions; according to NASA’s Global Hydrometeorology Research Council, a corridor of atmospheric moisture indispensable beryllium much than 1,245 miles (2,000 kilometers) agelong and little than 620 miles (1,000 km) wide to beryllium considered an atmospheric river.

Now, the extratropical cyclone has spawned an atmospheric stream that volition origin dense rainfall successful the portion done Friday. According to NASA, the atmospheric stream is expected to dump betwixt 12 to 16 inches (30 to 41 centimeters) of rainfall implicit immoderate parts of Oregon and California. The Weather Prediction Center announced flood watches and upwind warnings are successful effect for bluish California, upwind warnings for Oregon, a gale informing for the waters disconnected Oregon and Washington, and wintertime tempest warnings and watches for the California and Washington Cascades, and Sierra Nevada.

The Pacific Northwest should beryllium retired of the woods by Friday, depending connected however overmuch of the woods are inactive lasting pursuing those gale-force winds. Until then, enactment harmless and enactment dry.