Watch the ‘bomb cyclone’ hit Northern California from space

Storm update – 7:35 pm PST – Intense low pressure down to 972 mb just off the coast OR/CA. #CAwx #ORwx #BombCyclone pic.twitter.com/fvzXCsG1D1

— NWS Medford (@NWSMedford) November 27, 2019

The much-needed rain that is blanketing Northern California is part of a much larger weather phenomenon that hasn’t happened in two decades, according to weather experts.

🧐Impressive satellite loop showing rapid cyclogenesis off the West Coast. #cawx #BombCyclone #bombogenesis pic.twitter.com/pgWYblIw56

— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) November 26, 2019

The “bomb cyclone,” or a storm that intensifies at an unusually rapid rate, could bring wind gusts of 75 mph and waves of 35 feet in some areas. The precipitation as well as a cold front mean some mountain passes in northern California could get up to two to four feet of snow.

All of this is happening, of course, during one of the busiest travel times. Unsettled weather is expected in parts of the region through Thanksgiving.