Atmospheric rivers are projected to become wetter, larger, and more damaging as temperatures rise. California, which has been hit with a parade of them since late December, will catch a break Thursday from the onslaught.
The slew of storms has brought torrential rains, mudslides, a heavy snowpack, and deadly flooding. Storms are typical in the winter, including those labeled atmospheric rivers, or long and wide plumes of water vapor flowing from the tropics
According to the Washington Post, climate scientists are suggesting that the recent atmospheric river events could be just a modest preview of what’s to come in warmer years ahead.
The impact of these storms is a paradox. Atmospheric rivers generally provide precipitation critical to a region’s water cycle. These massive rivers, which sometimes carry 15 times the water volume of the Mississippi River, have delivered half of the western United States’ total precipitation in less than 15 total days.
And while California will get a break on Thursday from the onslaught of storms, FOX News is reporting that another barrage of storms will push into the region this weekend and into next week.
The coming storms won’t be anything near what the state has seen recently. However, flooding concerns remain high on the list of impacts. Rain on Wednesday pushed more water into the swollen rivers, and there are concerns that flooding will occur, especially along the Salinas River in Central California.
The Salinas River runs near Spreckels in Monterey County, the water level is expected to reach or exceed 30 feet, which is about seven feet above flood stage.
The death toll from the storms climbed to at least 18 on Wednesday when a 43-year-old woman was found dead in her vehicle that became submerged in floodwaters north of San Francisco one day earlier, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
There are very few bright spots to see at the end of this barrage of storms, expected to end around January 20, but while the unrelenting rain is wreaking havoc in the short term, it is combining with snow to help put a significant dent in the drought that has long plagued the region, according to the Washington Post.
