Is Wisconsin Expecting A Bomb Cyclone This Winter?

Here we are again with weather that is not heard of a lot.  That is until lately.  I was introduced to the derecho when it hit our home.  You can read about that here (The Trouble with Weather) Up to that point we'd never heard of derecho and ignorance is bliss.

Some of these weather terms were set up for once-in-a-lifetime storms and then they become, twice in a lifetime, three times, four times, and I could keep going, five times, six times, but I won't, seven times, eight times.  This time around It's not just a cyclone, it's the bomb diggity, The Bomb Cyclone (Explosive cyclogenesis)

What is Happening to Our West?

The AP reports that a huge storm hit the Pacific Northwest and parts of the U.S. West Coast on Tuesday evening, and it brought a lot of chaos. The storm is being called a "bomb cyclone" because it rapidly intensified, meaning it brought very strong winds and heavy rain. This type of storm can cause serious damage, and this one definitely did.

One of the biggest impacts was the powerful winds and heavy rain. The storm brought hurricane-force winds and tons of rain, especially in areas like Washington and California. In Washington, a tragic incident occurred when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment in Lynnwood, killing a woman.

There were also reports of trees falling on homes and cars, and in Seattle, a person was temporarily trapped inside a car after a tree fell on it, though they were later reported to be stable.

The storm knocked out power for over 600,000 people in Washington, and there were outages in Oregon and California too. The storm’s gusts were incredibly strong—up to 101 mph off the coast of Vancouver Island in Canada and 79 mph along the Oregon coast. That’s strong enough to bring down trees and power lines, creating a lot of problems.

Other Concerns Beyond The Cyclone

In addition to the winds, there were major flooding concerns, especially in northern California, where up to 8 inches of rain was expected. The heavy rain and strong winds created a real risk for flash flooding, rockslides, and debris flows, making travel dangerous in certain areas.

The storm also brought snow to the mountains. In northern California’s Sierra Nevada, they were expecting up to 15 inches of snow over two days. Plus, parts of Washington's Cascades, including Mount Rainier, were under a blizzard warning, with up to a foot of snow and winds strong enough to make travel almost impossible.

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The National Weather Service issued warnings about the storm's dangers, telling people to stay safe by avoiding travel if possible, staying away from windows, and being cautious of falling trees and debris. It was definitely a wild and dangerous storm that caused a lot of damage and put a lot of people at risk.

Could Wisconsin See a Bomb Cyclone?

For Wisconsin, a bomb cyclone could happen in the winter, especially if the right conditions come together—like a big temperature difference and a strong low-pressure system.

If that were to happen, we'd likely see heavy snow, strong winds, and potentially blizzard-like conditions. While bomb cyclones are more often seen near the coasts, a similar storm in Wisconsin could still bring a lot of chaos with powerful winds and snow.