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What is 'bombogenesis' and why is everyone saying it?

BOSTON — It seems like this year's wacky weather term is 'bombogenesis.'

Every year, there seems to be a new weather term that grabs everyone's attention. But they're almost never new and they're always less fantastical than they sound.

This year's word is bombogenesis, a term that simply describes the rapid pressure drop in a storm system.

While you may have not heard of the term until recently, there have been many New England storms that have undergone this process of bombogensis.

The nor'easter tracking up the US coast this week will drop pressure fast as it strengthens, increasing its expected wind and precipitation.

Typically a storm with lower pressure has stronger winds and can produce intense rain or in this case snowfall rates.

So now that we know this storm will drop pressure fast or undergo ‘Bombogenesis’… we are expecting some hefty snowfall and strong to damaging winds.

While the snow can and will be cleared, the wind could knock out power to many areas and cause problems with the ensuing frigid temperatures over the weekend that follow this storm.

Be sure to prepare your home to keep warm as wind chills could reach into the double digit negatives after the storm passes through Friday.

MORE: Latest Updates: Massachusetts braces for snow from Thursday nor'easter