Atmospheric River To Impact Weather Across the Western United States! (credit: NWS Reno, Nevada)1/2/2017  DISCUSSION: As a strong atmospheric river continues on its current track towards parts of the western United States, there are a few possible scenarios which are projected to unfold (one way or the other) over the course of the next several days. These respective scenarios involve the presence of slightly warmer (or colder) air moving across much of the intermountain west. As a result of this warmer (or potentially colder) air spilling across a large portion of the western United States, there will either be a lot of rain or snow at some of the lower elevations; while there will most definitely be lots of heavy snowfall at the higher elevations (especially at those elevations above 8,500 feet). Hence, if you live across the respective parts of the western United States, be sure to keep tabs on our updates at your local National Weather Service office as well as updates from all of us here at the Global Weather and Climate Center. Be sure to check out the graphic attached above (courtesy of the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada) for additional information!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
1 Comment
Sheldon Kusselson
1/3/2017 02:45:42 pm
The term "atmospheric river" is a relatively new coined term from about 15 or so years ago. But those who were dealing with polar orbiting microwave satellite data/sensors in the 1990's, like myself, from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave Imager, have used the term "moisture plume or concentration of highest moisture to speak of these now more well known "Atmospheric River" of moisture. You can follow the progress of this "atmospheric river" of moisture from NOAA/NESDIS at:http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/bTPW/TPW_Animation.html?product=EAST_PACIFIC_TPW and another very good product, the MIMIC TPW from the University of WI at: http://tropic.ssec.wisc.edu/real-time/mtpw2/product.php?color_type=tpw_nrl_colors&prod=epac×pan=24hrs&anim=html5 . And don't forget that "atmospheric rivers" of moisture can be found at many different levels of the atmosphere and you can follow them at CIRA/Colorado State University's Advected Layered Precipitable Water Product at: http://cat.cira.colostate.edu/sport/layered/advected/lpw.htm . Sheldon Kusselson, Retired NOAA/NESDIS Leave a Reply. |
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