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Pineapple Express is not just a name of the popular comedy movie that was released in 2008. The term also refers to a meteorological phenomenon, a type of "atmospheric river" that is set to wash over Washington, Oregon, and parts of California this week.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), areas in Northern and Southern California will experience excessive rainfall, widespread flooding, landslides, heavy snowfall and extremely high winds on Wednesday and Thursday. The reasons behind the forecast are the aforementioned atmospheric river and a "Bomb Cyclone."
The NWS urged residents of the West Coast to prepare for a brutal system that could potentially lead to the loss of human life. They are advised to stay home as the storm will make the roads wet and slippery, and the winds may knock down trees and power lines throughout Thursday morning.
Pineapple Express and bomb cyclones to ravage California
In 2014, a powerful storm took over the West Coast and brought in serious destruction. It brought in two weeks of heavy rain, as well as blizzards, high winds, flooding, mudslides, and even a tornado to Los Angeles, a city that has never been subjected to a storm before.
The storm caused destruction to the point of highway closures, property damage, and widespread power outages. However, it was also a huge sigh of relief for an area so plagued with drought.
The name Pineapple Express is a slang term for an atmospheric river - a moving band of concentrated moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere. It gets its name as it travels from Hawaii.
Pineapple Express events involve a combination of moisture-laden air, hot-and-cold atmospheric dynamics. It is, however, the presence of mountains that causes airborne moisture to rise very quickly, cool and condense before falling as rain. It is driven by the Polar jet stream and can cause some of the most torrential rainfall along the West Coast of North America.
A bomb cyclone, on the other hand, refers to a cyclone that increasingly intensifies over a short period of time. This usually occurs when the pressure drops rapidly as cold and warm air overlaps, generating a vacuum-like effect that funnels the storm and causes it to generate strong winds.
In essence, a Pineapple Express will be accompanied by a bomb cyclone storm system.
Netizens confused about the cyclone name as it mimics a popular Seth Rogan movie
Since the weather warning was issued for the Californian region, netizens have found it hilarious that the NWS would name such a devastating cyclone after the 2008 comedy movie by Seth Rogan. The film, Pineapple Express, was named after a popular strain of cannabis.
Many took to social media to share the news about the upcoming atmospheric river and bomb cyclone, and also to share some hilarious memes with their reactions about the name.
Los Angeles County is expected to see heavy rain from midnight on Wednesday to 6 am or possibly till noon on Thursday.
San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County are expected to receive the heaviest rain between 6 pm on Wednesday and midnight on Thursday. Ventury county will also experience similar rains, although not as heavy.
Flood watches remain in effect across Los Angeles County through Thursday. Some areas in Santa Barbara County, such as Alisal, Thomas and Cave Fire Burn Scar Areas, have been issued with evacuation orders due to flooding and debris flow concerns.
