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Storm alert issued for bomb cyclone that will bring ‘life-threatening’ cold to the US

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  • Authorities warn US residents about severe weather for the holidays.
  • A bomb cyclone is approaching.
  • The storm could bring dangerous cold.

Weather experts have warned that at least 26 US states could suffer the effects of a massive cold wave. Now, they have issued an alert for a bomb cyclone that will bring «life-threatening» cold to the United States.

An intense Arctic air mass will bring «life-threatening cold» to much of the country, according to La Opinión. «Cold of this magnitude could cause frostbite on exposed skin within minutes, as well as hypothermia and death if exposure is prolonged,» the National Weather Service said.

Storm alert issued for bomb cyclone that will bring ‘life-threatening’ cold

Storm alert issued for 'bomb cyclone' that will bring 'life-threatening' cold to the US
PHOTO: Capture website The Sun

In addition, authorities noted that wind chill alerts currently extend from the US-Canada border to the Texas Gulf Coast, including portions of at least 26 states that will suffer from «life-threatening» cold.

They reiterated that temperatures could drop to minus 20 degrees in the Midwest and Great Lakes. “Some places are expected to drop to minus 20 degrees. And that’s without taking into account the wind that’s going to make it feel minus 60,» said meteorologist Christopher Tate.

Authorities fear the possibility of blackouts throughout the country

Storm alert 'bomb cyclone'
PHOTO: Capture website The Sun

The Associated Press reports that meteorologists across the country fear the possibility of power outages and warns people to take precautions to protect the elderly, the homeless and livestock, and, if possible, postpone travel.

For the extreme northern part of the United States, wind chills near 70 below zero Fahrenheit (57 below zero Celsius) are forecast. This is enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin in a matter of minutes. The heaviest snowfall is forecast in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and wind chill will be strongest in the central part of the country, according to the National Weather Service.

What is a bomb cyclone’?

Storm alert 'bomb cyclone'
PHOTO: Getty Images

According to The Sun, meteorologists define a bomb cyclone as a winter storm that is transformed by explosive cyclogenesis. A bomb cyclone occurs when air pressure central from a mid-latitude storm falls at a rate of one millibar per hour for at least 24 hours.

The process in which the central air pressure drops is known as explosive cyclogenesis. Cyclogenesis is considered explosive because the air pressure drops to one millibar compared to the normal air pressure of 1010 millibars.

Why does a bomb cyclone happen?

Storm alert 'bomb cyclone'
PHOTO: Getty Images

Bomb cyclones occur when a mid-latitude cyclone intensifies rapidly, dropping at least 24 millibars (a millibar measures atmospheric pressure) over 24 hours. This can happen when a cold air mass collides with one that is hot.

When drastically different air masses collide, it’s a recipe for a bomb cyclone. Bomb cyclones occur most often along coasts where there is warm water. Hot water creates a strong temperature gradient from its surface to the atmosphere just above it.

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