Northern California and the Pacific Northwest are bracing for what ... The storm system has intensified so quickly that it is considered a “ bomb cyclone,” explained Richard Bann, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Weather Prediction ...

A bomb cyclone occurs when cold and warm air collide over the ocean, dropping the pressure at a rapid rate and creating intense weather. On the East Coast, that can mean vast quantities of snow. Here on the West Coast, it can usher in buckets of rain.

The West Coast is preparing for a long-duration heavy rain event from a bomb cyclone set to form Tuesday. Threat level: The rapidly intensifying storm, taking shape in the northeastern Pacific Ocean,