This week, California is set to experience a significant atmospheric river, bringing heavy rain and potentially hazardous conditions to areas recently affected by wildfires. Atmospheric rivers are narrow bands of moist air originating from the tropics that transport water vapor toward mid-latitudes, with the potential to deliver substantial rainfall and snow. Experts emphasize their importance for California's water supply, but warn that intense storms increase risks of landslides and debris flows in vulnerable regions. The storm may add significantly to this season's snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, vital for downstream water availability.
Atmospheric rivers transport vast quantities of water across the ocean, generally from warm tropics toward cooler mid-latitudes like California, bringing significant rainfall.
When atmospheric rivers collide with the coastal topography, they are forced upward, turning water vapor into liquid which results in rain or snow.
ARs can be hazardous when intense, especially in previously burned areas, as they increase risks of debris flows and landslides.
An upcoming atmospheric river event in California could add 4 feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada snowpack, essential for water supply later in the year.
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