Massive 'Bomb Cyclone' Located Over the Pacific Northwest, Shown in Satellite Imagery
Headline: Extratropical Cyclone Sweeps Through Pacific Northwest, Causing Power Outages and Heavy Rain
The Pacific Northwest experienced a powerful extratropical cyclone on November 19, 2024, bringing hurricane-force winds and rain to the region. According to reports, at least two lives were lost due to the cyclone, and numerous power outages were reported across the affected areas.
The cyclone was a rapidly intensified system, with wind speeds increasing rapidly as atmospheric pressures in the center dropped. This rapid intensification was more than double what's necessary to constitute bombogenesis, a phenomenon where an ordinary cyclone becomes a bomb cyclone.
The storm's size and location are reminiscent of an atmospheric river that hit the Gulf of Alaska in September. An atmospheric river is a long, narrow corridor of atmospheric moisture that carries rain over a large area. The cyclone that swept over the Pacific Northwest was swirling with this type of atmospheric river, which continued to douse the region through Friday.
The distinctive comma-shaped clouds and the atmospheric river were visible in the satellite image of the extratropical cyclone, captured by the JPSS-1 satellite's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite. The satellite image was also captured by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The cyclone knocked down trees and power lines across the Pacific Northwest, leaving nearly 600,000 people without power in Washington state alone. In British Columbia, about 320,000 customers were originally affected by the windstorm, and as of this morning, nearly 30,000 people were still without power.
NASA predicts the atmospheric river will dump between 12 to 16 inches (30 to 41 centimeters) of rain over some parts of Oregon and California. The Weather Prediction Center has issued flood watches, wind warnings for northern California, wind warnings for Oregon, a gale warning for the waters off Oregon and Washington, and winter storm warnings and watches for the California and Washington Cascades, and Sierra Nevada.
The Pacific Northwest is expected to be out of the woods by Friday, but the region may still face gale-force winds until then. NASA's Global Hydrometeorology Research Council states that an atmospheric river must be more than 1,245 miles (2,000 kilometers) long and less than 620 miles (1,000 km) wide. The cyclone that hit the Pacific Northwest fits this description, making it a significant atmospheric event.
The formation of the extratropical cyclone was discussed in a NASA Earth Observatory release. The cyclone's formation and impact serve as a reminder of the power and unpredictability of natural weather events.
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