Atmospheric rivers: How California is trying to understand them
California weather is rarely average. Historically, the state has well above or well below average rain and snow. One of the keys to prepare for these wild swings is a better understanding of atmospheric rivers. The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes or CW3E is studying these large water transport systems in the Pacific. Atmospheric rivers can hold more than twice the water as the Amazon. At times, they can be the most hazardous storms for the West Coast, but they can also be largely beneficial, delivering about 50% of California’s rain and snow.