Blog: Atmospheric river reconnaissance flight season gets an early start this winter
An expanded Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program began last month as a result of the unexpected “bomb cyclone” in October 2021 that hit North America’s West Coast, followed by another atmospheric river less than a month later that caused severe flooding in Washington. … Atmospheric rivers are streams of water vapor that carry 25 times the water equivalent of the Mississippi River. Flowing at an altitude of about 10,000 feet, atmospheric rivers average between 100 and 500 miles wide and 2,000 miles long. Where they hit the West Coast determines where heavy rain, snow, and flooding occurs. They are also critical to water supply, and improved forecasts of where atmospheric rivers will make landfall are vital for more effective management of reservoirs.
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