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."NWS Sacramento@NWSSacramentoOur #GOESWest🛰️ full-disc satellite shows a powerful storm undergoing bombogenesis off the northern CA Coast.What is a "Bomb Cyclone"? By definition, it is a low pressure system that experiences a fall in pressure of 24 millibars in 24 hours. #CAwx glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Bomb353118Our #GOESWest🛰️ full-disc satellite shows a powerful storm undergoing bombogenesis off the northern CA Coast.What is a "Bomb Cyclone"? By definition, it is a low pressure system that experiences a fall in pressure of 24 millibars in 24 hours. #CAwx glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Bomb https://t.co/IDnazirGPxThe 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 CaliforniaIn 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.Atmospheric rivers lift up and over mountain ranges, dropping their moisture aiding in bomb cyclones.(Image via Getty/Paul Duginski)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.Daniel Swain@Weather_WestThe next inbound storm looks like it will be quite strong. A rapidly deepening surface low (i.e., meteorological "bomb cyclone") will remain well offshore, but the associated warm and cold fronts will bring widespread heavy rain and strong winds to NorCal later Wed. #CAwx [2/n]26787The next inbound storm looks like it will be quite strong. A rapidly deepening surface low (i.e., meteorological "bomb cyclone") will remain well offshore, but the associated warm and cold fronts will bring widespread heavy rain and strong winds to NorCal later Wed. #CAwx [2/n] https://t.co/cpm4PT9r8WNetizens confused about the cyclone name as it mimics a popular Seth Rogan movieSince 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.kiarra 🐉 كيارا@KiaarrrraCalifornia being hit with a double insane cyclone … and y’all name it Pineapple Express !?!? I hate it here , truly242California being hit with a double insane cyclone … and y’all name it Pineapple Express !?!? 😭 I hate it here , trulyBilly@sodakingHitting that Pineapple Express while a storm called Pineapple Express be hitting252Hitting that Pineapple Express while a storm called Pineapple Express be hitting https://t.co/Vq6urbyEY4DOWNLOAD LOVE | zenojones.eth@zenojoneswow idk if I have enough supplies for the Pineapple Express twitter.com/Bodhi_Tweets/s…🌺 Oops, I tweeted again🍍@Bodhi_TweetsFUN FACT: “All Pineapple Express are atmospheric rivers, but not all atmospheric rivers are Pineapple Expresses,”- @NWS Yes, the storm thats hitting California rn is called a Pineapple Express. Dammit man, get me @Sethrogen #FunFact #BombCyclone #californiarain2012FUN FACT: “All Pineapple Express are atmospheric rivers, but not all atmospheric rivers are Pineapple Expresses,”- @NWS Yes, the storm thats hitting California rn is called a Pineapple Express. Dammit man, get me @Sethrogen #FunFact #BombCyclone #californiarain https://t.co/NprF5WsCHJwow idk if I have enough supplies for the Pineapple Express twitter.com/Bodhi_Tweets/s…mila 💋@Mila_2319can’t believe y’all actually named this storm Pineapple Express I thought y’all were joking!!192can’t believe y’all actually named this storm Pineapple Express 😭 I thought y’all were joking!!solange stan account@RexxLifeRaji think we need to give the storm a different name than Pineapple Express so we can take it more seriously.17443i think we need to give the storm a different name than Pineapple Express so we can take it more seriously.🌙Faye Targaryen🍃@elvngrlPeople making fun of Californians for the storm??? Um… y’all it’s literally a level 5 bomb cyclone? Our buildings/cities aren’t made for this lol34949People making fun of Californians for the storm??? Um… y’all it’s literally a level 5 bomb cyclone? Our buildings/cities aren’t made for this lolÁshtre Súrfa!@ashtre_surfaPineapple Express…really91Pineapple Express…really https://t.co/9XcazXMOJBPizza Dad@Pizza__DadThe guy who named the #bombcyclone “pineapple express”:11The guy who named the #bombcyclone “pineapple express”: https://t.co/WMPUX99mQjLos 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.