What Is A Bomb Cyclone?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Tri-State area is bracing for a massive winter storm, but it's not just any storm. It's a bomb cyclone.

A bomb cyclone is also known as bombogenesis or a snow hurricane.

According to the National Ocean Service, bombogenesis "occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours. This can happen when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters."

The coastal storm, which was over Florida Wednesday morning, will be roughest along the shorelines as it travels up to the Maine coast.

"This storm is going to do nothing but get bigger and badder as it moves to the northeast," CBS2's Lonnie Quinn told "CBS This Morning." "It's putting down a lot of snow.

Forecasters think most of the snow and worst winds will stay over the open ocean, although parts of the Northeast are still likely to get high winds with gusts of up to 70 mph, waves and snow.

Northern Maine could see up to 2 feet of snow.

A winter storm warning is in effect for Suffolk County and parts of southern Connecticut through Thursday night. Forecasters say six to nine inches of snow is possible with winds gusting as high as 45 mph to 50 mph.

New York City, Nassau, southern Westchester and Fairfield counties are under a winter storm watch from late Wednesday through Thursday evening. Three to six inches of snow could fall in those areas with 35 mph to 45 mph wind gusts.

If the storm pushes more to the east bigger snow numbers are possible.