This year’s rainy season is underway, which means atmospheric rivers are set to dump rain and snow across California and the Pacific Northwest. It also means that specially outfitted aircraft are standing by to fly out to sea into the heart of those brewing storms to improve forecasts as part of the Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program (AR Recon), led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Atmospheric rivers are ribbons of water vapor in the sky that can deliver huge amounts of precipitation. They are simultaneously vital sources of freshwater and the cause of dangerous flooding, making accurate forecasting critically important. Climate change is projected to make these precipitation events more intense and destructive by warming the air, which increases the amount of moisture these storms can carry. More accurate forecasts and more advanced warnings enhance public safety when flooding is predicted and can support water managers making complex choices ahead of a downpour.  

Related weather articles:

• Sacramento Bee: Snow storms are coming to Tahoe area. How long will flurries last?
• Newsweek: Map shows California cities bracing for snow, ‘hazardous conditions’
• Drought.gov: Snow drought current conditions and impacts in the West
• KTLA 5: Chances of rain sprinkled into Southern California forecast
• KCRA Sacramento: Northern California’s dry streak coming to an end as rain, snow set to return