In 2010, an atmospheric river fed into a storm taking aim at the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states, resulting in a "snowmageddon," The Weather Channel reported.. And it says atmospheric rivers often make ...

An atmospheric river scale that assesses the strength and impacts of atmospheric rivers, from 1 to 5, was developed by F. Martin Ralph, ...

In recent years, "atmospheric river" has become used much more frequently in scientific papers and in media coverage. According to experts who study climate and weather, a few reasons may explain why.

According to NOAA, a strong atmospheric river can transport an amount of water vapor that's roughly equivalent to 7.5 to 15 times the average flow of water at the Mississippi River's mouth.

One atmospheric river can be enough to flood homes, down power lines and wash away hillsides and highways. And when several sweep ashore in a matter of days or weeks, as has been happening this ...

The term, atmospheric river (AR), is used when describing the way water vapor moves through the atmosphere in the mid-latitudes. There can be atmospheric rivers that aren’t just moisture.

An image created using satellite data showing an atmospheric river hitting the West Coast on January 4, 2023. The long blue plume is the river, funneling extreme amounts of precipitation to the coast.