SEATTLE — As Washington prepares for the impacts of a rare bomb cyclone, some were wondering when the Evergreen State last experienced one.
Though that type of weather system doesn’t often develop near Washington, the last one that impacted the Pacific Northwest was earlier this year in January.
Bomb cyclones are weather systems that form when the storm’s central pressure drops more than 24 millibars in 24 hours.
A bomb cyclone rotating off the Pacific Coast on Jan. 4, 2024 impacted the Pacific Northwest. With that bomb cyclone, the center of the system was positioned further south, so California received the brunt of the impacts, according to KING 5 Chief Meteorologist Mike Everett. In January, the bomb cyclone brought showers and wind to the Puget Sound region, although the winds weren’t as strong as the ones forecasted with the current system. Like our bomb cyclone on Tuesday, winds were highest in the Cascade foothills and the coast.
Coincidentally, the Jan. 4 system also preceded a rare Blizzard Warning in the Cascades, although the snow arrived several days later. At the time, it was only the fourth Blizzard Warning issued by the National Weather Service.
This November cyclone has prompted the fifth Blizzard Warning.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the bomb cyclone that formed off the coast is expected to be more severe than the one on Jan. 4 with the November system forecasted to be around 950 mb by Wednesday.
It also is situated right off the Washington coast, whereas the Jan. 4 system was centered further south. This proximity could lead to stronger impacts.