Another Bomb Cyclone Warning Issued For Midwest, Blizzard-Like Conditions Expected

Less than a month after a "bomb cyclone" battered the Midwest, the weather phenomenon with similar strength is forecast again this week.

The storm, which was moving across the Rockies on Monday evening, is expected to bring blizzard-like conditions to the Plains on Wednesday. Parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado and Nebraska have already received winter storm watches as snowfall up to 18 inches is expected.

The storm will reach the Midwest on Thursday, and is expected to dump heavy snow. Places like Minneapolis can expect up to 10 inches of snow. Apart from snowfall, states including Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky could also witness tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. With additional rain and snow, South Dakota, Nebraska and Western Minnesota could also experience major flooding.

"This blizzard will further exacerbate flooding in Nebraska with the added insult of heavy snowfall to eventually melt. This is more bad news for suffering farmers who are unable to flip the calendar on winter,” said Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at Weather Models.com.

Parts of Oregon already witnessed heavy rain and flooding Sunday and Monday, resulting in the closure of several schools in the region. Colorado Springs, on the other hand, witnessed a wildfire Sunday, resulting in temporary evacuation of some homes. The state is expected to witness a 40-degree drop in temperatures over the next few days.

"This is the time of year when we get a roller coaster of weather. Going from 80 degree temperatures one day to a snowstorm the next is not that out of the ordinary, especially in March and April, around here,” Colorado state climatologist Russ Schumacher told the Associated Press.

Schumacher added the bomb cyclone usually develops every couple of years and it was not usual to see them this close together. He also said it was not clear if climate change could be blamed for this.

“I think it’s an interesting question to ask whether there’s some climate change fingerprint on this. But it’s a complicated puzzle to piece together,” he said.

The rare weather phenomenon brought extreme weather conditions, including heavy snow and rain, to the central United States, from Minnesota all the way to Texas, in March. Parts of Colorado also witnessed hurricane-like conditions, resulting in the closure of Denver airport.

A bomb cyclone is a weather phenomenon that takes place when the atmospheric pressure falls at 24 millibars in 24 hours or less.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters. The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis, which creates what is known as a bomb cyclone.”