This article explains atmospheric rivers, their formation, characteristics, and impacts, particularly on the West Coast of the United States. It details how they bring precipitation, contribute to water supplies, and can cause flooding and mudslides. The piece also discusses the increasing frequency and intensity of these events due to climate change.
FILE - Mud and debris is strewn on Fryman Road during an atmospheric river Feb. 5, 2024, in Studio City Calif. Atmospheric rivers are massive plumes of moisture carried across the sky that can dump heavy rains or snow over land.
Atmospheric rivers generally form in tropical regions, where warm temperatures can cause water vapor to rise into the atmosphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The winds aloft then carry that moisture to northern and southern latitudes. They occur globally but are especially significant on the West Coast of the United States, where they create 30% to 50% of annual precipitation and are vital to water supplies but also can cause storms that produce flooding and mudslides, according to NOAA. Formed by winds associated with cyclones, atmospheric rivers typically range from 250 miles to 375 miles in width and move under the influence of other weather. Many atmospheric river events are weak. But the powerful ones can transport extraordinary amounts of moisture. Studies have shown they can carry seven to 15 times the average amount of water discharged daily by the Mississippi River, according to the They’re also getting bigger, wetter and more frequent as Earth’s atmosphere warms, according to a 2025 study.When the moisture-laden air moves over mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada along the California-Nevada line, the water vapor rises and cools, becoming heavy precipitation that falls as rain or snow, according to NOAA. While traditional cold winter storms out of the north Pacific build the Sierra snowpack, atmospheric rivers tend to be warm. Snow may still fall at the highest elevations but rain usually falls on the snowpack at lower elevations. That can quickly prompt melting, runoff and flooding and decrease the snowpack needed for California’s water supply.It is a nickname for a strong atmospheric river that originates in the tropical Pacific near Hawaii.The name came from research published in the 1990s by scientists Yong Zhu and Reginald E. Newell of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Atmospheric rivers are often referred to as ARs.Atmospheric rivers are massive plumes of moisture carried across the sky that can dump heavy rains or snow over land. Here’s a look at the phenomenon: Where do atmospheric rivers come from? Atmospheric rivers generally form in tropical regions, where warm temperatures can cause water vapor to rise into the atmosphere, according to the National DENVER — Supporters of a prominent Colorado immigration and labor activist say an immigration judge has ruled that she can post bond and be released after spending nine months in detention. The judge issued a written ruling Sunday allowing Jeanette Vizguerra to post $5,000 bond, said Jennifer Piper of the American Friends Service Committee, DECATUR, Ga. — Three inmates — including one who was being held on a murder charge — have escaped from a county jail just east of Atlanta, authorities said. The breakout happened early Monday morning at the DeKalb County Jail and was discovered during a routine security check, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A Brown University sophomore who was killed in an attack at the Rhode Island university was remembered Monday as “smart, confident, curious, kind, principled, brave,” at a funeral in her home state of Alabama. Hundreds gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham to remember Ella Cook, 19. RICHMOND, Calif. — Betty Reid Soskin, who rose to national fame as the oldest National Park Service ranger and used the spotlight to talk about the African American experience during World War II, has died. She was 104. Her family and the park service announced her death through social media, saying she was surrounded LEXINGTON, Neb. — A small town in rural Nebraska is losing its biggest employer, a Tyson Foods’ beef plant, which will be laying off 3,200 workers next month in a town of around 11,000 people. Lexington, Nebraska, is expected to lose hundreds of families who will be forced to move away in search of Chrystal Ortega's tireless dedication recently earned her the WSECU Community Champions Award and a $1,000 grant to further the mission.When Shawn Tibbitts opened Tibbitts FernHill, he was just trying to survive. The small Tacoma restaurant has since earned culinary awards and praise.Wilcox Family Farms is continuing its cherished holiday tradition of giving back by donating nearly one million eggs to food banks across the South Sound region this season.Matthew Ballantyne has transformed that early awareness into action, embodying the organization's mission:"No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town."Discover Kitsap County’s creative soul: Where Nordic charm meets gothic gardens and ancient traditions thrive Kitsap County is full of wonderfully weird, authentically artsy, and unexpectedly magical corners that make visitors become locals and locals never want to leave.
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