Rockford Area Weather Sucks, But At Least We’re Not Getting This

Rain and a wintry mix like we're getting here in Northern Illinois is one thing, but digging out from a "Bomb Cyclone" as many people are, is something else entirely.

First off, what exactly is a "bomb cyclone?"

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines it like this:

If a winter storm is dubbed a bomb cyclone or “bombogenesis” by meteorologists, it means it is expected to rapidly intensify, dropping 24 millibars (or atmospheric pressure) over a 24-hour span. A typical range in millibars is around 10 to 15.

Okay...well, that's certainly a science-y definition. Millibars, schmillabars. Here's what it looks like for some of the states to the north and west of us:

As crappy as our current weather is, at least we're not shoveling out of this stuff.