SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — The storm that will bring heavy rain and gusty winds into the area Sunday into Monday will undergo the process of bombogenesis.
This occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours. A millibar measures atmospheric pressure. The lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.
The storm is forecast to drop from 984mb to 942mb from 4 p.m. Saturday to 4 p.m Sunday. Once this happens, it will be classified as a bomb cyclone.
Winds off the coast of Oregon will gust 70-90 mph, which is as strong as a Category 1 hurricane.
In turn, the winds will create offshore waves of 40-50 feet in the Pacific. This will cause shipping disruptions, rough surf and beach erosion. Along the Pacific Northwest coastline, waves will be 10-20 feet high.
In Northern California, the bomb cyclone will provide us with 2-4 inches of rain and gusts of 30-40 mph on Sunday. Snow levels will drop Sunday night into Monday, allowing for 1-3 feet of snow above 6,000 feet in elevation.