The U.S. East Coast began a whiplash-inducing stretch of weather on Wednesday that featured a deluge of rain, rapid snowmelt and powerful gusts, creating dangerous conditions, due in part to an atmospheric river and developing bomb cyclone.

One of the key factors driving the weather is an atmospheric river, which is a long band of water vapor that can transport moisture from the tropics to the north.

The East Coast is experiencing the early stages of what could be a whiplash-inducing stretch of winter weather

The U.S. East Coast is due for a whiplash-inducing stretch of weather that will be rainy, windy and potentially dangerous, due in part to an atmospheric river and developing bomb cyclone. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and fierce winds to many areas from Tuesday night to Wednesday night,

A massive storm system will hammer virtually the entire East Coast this Wednesday, with flash floods possible in multiple major cities.