The term "Bomb Cyclone" has been tossed around a lot this week, especially regarding the west coast storm that broke records for the lowest recorded pressure in the Pacific Northwest.

While the term "Bomb Cyclone" or "Bombogenesis" are terms used in meteorology, they can sometimes sound more like scare tactics on social media.

So, what does it mean?

Simply, it is when a mid-latitude cyclone rapidly intensifies over 24 hours and drops at least 24 millibars. Millibars are used to measure atmospheric pressure. The lower the pressure, the more powerful the cyclone is.

It is a similar process as when a tropical system undergoes rapid intensification. Expect for hurricanes it is measured by an increase in wind speed of 30 knots in a 24 hour period.