On January 3 and 4, the first of two back - to - back
atmospheric river storms (wide paths of moisture in the atmosphere composed of condensed water vapor), brought heavy rain and mountain snow to central California, ahead of an even more intense round of heavy precipitation brought by a powerful, long - duration atmospheric river storm pulling warm and moist air to California from the subtropical and equatorial region southeast of Hawaii.
On January 3 and 4, the first of two back - to - back
atmospheric river storms brought heavy rain, mountain snow, and localized flooding to central California.
Climate models project that the intensity and duration of atmospheric rivers increase in the Golden State in a warming climate, with the most intense
atmospheric river storms becoming more frequent.
[8] Rain - on - snow - producing
atmospheric river storms are, on average, only 2 °C warmer than others storm types that preserve snow pack.
Additionally, many
atmospheric river storms move down the coast over time, so those that made landfall above California frequently moved down to the state as well.
It wasn't one or two particularly heavy
atmospheric river storms that pulled California out of a drought, increased snowpack and caused flooding.
From Oct. 1 to March 31, 45
atmospheric river storms made landfall along the West Coast, the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes reported.
«All climate models show that as the climate warms, we should expect more frequent
atmospheric river storms, which isn't good in California because it's almost like too much rain at one time,» she said.
The atmospheric river storms have arrived in a number and size not seen in years, said Marty Ralph, director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
That Great Flood of 1862 was actually a train of
atmospheric river storms over about a month, leading to a 200 - year flood.
A series of
atmospheric river storms is to blame, and the state's ageing dams are feeling the strain
The second
atmospheric river storm hit late on January 7, causing a prolonged period of heavy rainfall.
Not exact matches
Since the 17th century, the sea has captured the imagination of countless artists who have explored diverse aspects of the planet's waterways in tranquil views of
rivers, harbors, and coastlines; tempestuous images of
storms, shipwrecks, and sea monsters; and depictions of the unique
atmospheric effects of the coastal environment.
With moods ranging from tranquil to tempestuous, the works capture the realistic in depictions of
rivers, harbors, coastlines and the
atmospheric effects of the coastal environment, and the frightening or fantastical, in
storms, shipwrecks and sea monsters.
A Wet Year Wont Beat California's Never - Ending Drought01.22.2017 —
Storm after storm has pummeled California over the past few weeks as a series of so - called atmospheric rivers has come ashore... Read
Storm after
storm has pummeled California over the past few weeks as a series of so - called atmospheric rivers has come ashore... Read
storm has pummeled California over the past few weeks as a series of so - called
atmospheric rivers has come ashore... Read More.
This insanely deep trough then turned north, aiming an unprecedented
atmospheric moisture flood fire - hose style at the
storm - tossed airs above the Mississippi
River Valley.
This is the
atmospheric river of the
storm.
While the ever - important caveat is that it would only take a couple of strong, moist
storms (namely, an
atmospheric river or two) to bolster our reservoir levels to a level adequate to get us through next summer, there is likely to be rapidly heightening concern in the coming months over possible water shortages in the medium and long term if the «rainy season» doesn't actually become rainy in pretty short order.
The 2012 - 2013 water year was especially remarkable because it began rather early with a series of very intense and moist
storms associated with «
atmospheric rivers» in Northern California during November but then quickly tapered off, with only light and sporadic precipitation falling for the remainder of the typical «rainy» season from mid-December through May.
These are largely triggered by
storms called «
atmospheric rivers.»
Climate change is expected to make California more dependent on extreme «
atmospheric river»
storm events, scientists say.
After a record - breaking rainless January in San Francisco and much of the Bay Area, an «
atmospheric river» will bring a rainstorm to the region this weekend — and one team of scientists will ride into the
storm to study the phenomenon and its potential impact on California's devastating three - year drought.
A relentless series of
storms — driven by persistent troughing and an associated active jet stream along the West Coast — brought numerous
atmospheric rivers and associated heavy precipitation to much of the state since November.
Tags:
atmospheric rivers, California, flooding, Northwest, rain, sediment, snow Posted in
Storms, Uncategorized 2 Comments and counting
The
storms are being driven by an «
atmospheric river,» which, as NOAA explains, is a «relatively narrow» region in the atmosphere «responsible for most of the horizontal transport of water vapor outside of the tropics.»
[26] Historically, the most intense
storms and precipitation events in California have been tied to wintertime
atmospheric rivers that fed on high levels of water vapor in the air.
Prior to these papers» publication in the journal Monthly Weather Review, Schneider says, meteorologists knew that the moisture hitting land came from
storms in the Pacific, but they did not understand the role
atmospheric rivers played in delivering huge amounts of precipitation.
A 2011 report by the US Geological Survey (USGS) found that a single extreme 1000 - year
atmospheric river winter
storm along the US West Coast could cause up to $ 725 billion in damages to the California economy, much of that from flooding in the Central Valley.
The second
storm, fueled by a powerful, long - duration
atmospheric river funneling warm and moist air from southeast of Hawaii, hit central and northern California beginning late on January 7 and pushed major
rivers past flood stage levels and drove extreme gusts, leading to power outages as well as rock and mudslides.
The
storms, many of which have contained a narrow channel so rich in
atmospheric water vapor that meteorologists refer to them as
atmospheric rivers, are showing no signs of stopping, either.
Storms are hammering the West Coast and the South, with more rain to come in both regions due to the same phenomena:
atmospheric rivers.
These warm ocean waters contributed to severe floods over the Ohio
River Valley at that time by pumping record levels of
atmospheric moisture into the
storms running south.