The USGS gives the example of an atmospheric river that lasted over 100 hours over the Central California coast during the 1996-97 New Year's holiday period. The heavy rain and runoff caused over ...

In the western U.S., for example, atmospheric rivers have ended years-long droughts in the past. Some atmospheric rivers are so commonplace, they’ve earned names, like Pineapple Express.

Example of an atmospheric river, highlighted in green, forecast by the RPM model to landfall on the West Coast of the U.S. on March 5, 2016. The term was first used in a 1994 research paper and is ...

The term “atmospheric river” is heard most often during heavy rain events that typically lead to flooding, but this weather phenomenon is so much more than that. Here’s what you should know ...

For example, an atmospheric river on Jan. 8-9, 2017 that persisted for 36 hours produced up to 14 inches of rain in the Sierra Nevada and caused at least a dozen rivers to reach flood stage.

The term “atmospheric river” is heard most often during heavy rain events that typically lead to flooding, but this weather phenomenon is so much more than that. Here’s what you should know ...