The "Bomb Cyclone" Winter Storm Has Hit And People Are Freaking The Fuck Out

It's like the country has just frozen over. But WAIT. Because this is the world we live in, it's going to get even colder. Much colder. Frigid wind, sleet, and snow are slated to smack the East Coast this week, causing millions of people to question why they are not living in California.

So we asked weather experts to break this down for us. Here you go:

The winter storm is being described as a “bomb cyclone.” Yes, this is a real scientific term that's been around for decades and refers to a storm’s rapid intensification, meteorologist Ryan Maue told BuzzFeed News. If a storm’s central pressure drops 24 millibars or more in a 24 hour period, it’s known as a bomb or described as "bombing out."

The winter storm has other names, too: nor’easter or this other comforting one: a mid-latitude cyclone.

Surprisingly, winter cyclones aren’t exactly unprecedented, according to Jonathan Martin, a meteorology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. About 10 storms like this occur across the northern hemisphere every year, he said.

It’s possible this storm will set records for cold temperatures and snowfall in some areas, especially in the southeastern US. But these storms are unpredictable, said Martin, and “the jury is not in yet on where the storm is going to go.”

Zahra Hirji contributed to this report.