The bomb cyclone: Ready or not, here it comes

ATLANTA (RNN) – Something’s brewing off the east coast of the United States and it could get ugly.

We’re talking winter storm warnings from the Gulf of Mexico to New England. It’s one big and powerful weather system.

Weather geeks call it bombagenesis. Drop that one at your next dinner party. Bomb cyclone is the more popular term.

Basically, it’s a winter hurricane.

“Bombogenesis, a popular term used by meteorologists, occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies,” the National Weather Service says. “This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters.”

All that frigid air pouring into the United States is hooking up with a low-pressure system off the East Coast to spread mischief from Tallahassee, FL, to the northern tip of Maine.

Rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet are in the forecast for the Florida panhandle. In Charleston, SC, up to 2 inches of snow is expected. Up to a quarter inch of sleet will fall before the snow.

Virginia Beach, VA, is bracing for blizzard conditions as the storm moves up the coast. The same goes for Boston and Bangor, ME.

How bad things get depends on where the storm goes.

"If this winter storm tracks closer to the coast, it could mean more snow while a track farther east could mean less snow," the weather service says.

Tidal flooding is possible all along the East Coast.

Ridin' the Storm Out

The thought of a bomb cyclone inspired awe and humor on social media.

After all, how bad could it be?

It’s not like the world as we know it will end.

But some folks are suspicious of any storm called a bomb cyclone.

Others will just find a safe place to hide.

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