Explaining the East Coast's looming winter storm: bomb cyclone vs nor'easter

Meteorologists warn of a major East Coast winter storm this weekend that could rapidly intensify into a bomb cyclone (bombogenesis means a 24 mb drop in pressure in 24 hours) and become a nor'easter as it moves along the Atlantic coast. Expect heavy snow or rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding, with Blizzard-like conditions possible in some areas and several inches of snow expected in parts of North Carolina and southern Virginia. The terms describe different aspects of a storm—rapid strengthening vs. location/movement—and a system can be both. Notable past bombs include the 1993 Storm of the Century and the 2018 Southeast coast storm.