Space News Hubb
Advertisement Banner
  • Home
  • Space & Astronomy
  • Space Technology
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Space & Astronomy
  • Space Technology
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Space
No Result
View All Result
Home Space Technology

Satellites watch ‘atmospheric river’ bring extreme rain to California

admin by admin
January 4, 2023
in Space Technology


A so-called atmospheric river is bringing huge amounts of tropical moisture to California, prompting weather forecasters to issue alerts for high risks of flooding. 

Atmospheric rivers are channels that form in Earth’s atmosphere and funnel water vapor from the typically humid tropical regions to drier areas farther away from the equator. These channels can transport huge amounts of water within a short period of time, causing deluges when they make landfall. 

The type of atmospheric river threatening California on Wednesday and Thursday (Jan. 4 and Jan. 5) is a phenomenon that appears regularly. It’s sometimes called the Pineapple Express, a reference to the fruit commonly grown in Hawai’i where this river originates. 

The current atmospheric river has combined with a region of low air pressure that swirls above the Pacific Ocean, together forming a powerful storm that threatens the usually sunny state. 

Related: Europe warming twice as fast as rest of the world, new report reveals

Satellites of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are monitoring the weather system, revealing its various aspects including wind speeds and expected amount of rain. 

The NOAA Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued a moderate risk alert for excessive rain over parts of the Californian coast for Wednesday and Thursday morning.

“The associated heavy rain will create numerous areas of flash flooding,” the WPC said in a statement (opens in new tab). “Furthermore, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.”

In higher altitude regions, such as in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the rain will turn into heavy snow, WPC said. 

Image 1 of 2

NOAA’s GOES West satellite observes an atmospheric river delivering huge amounts of rain to California in early January 2023. (Image credit: NOAA)
Data from NOAA's GOES West weather satellite reveal wind speeds associated with a powerful storm system heading to California.
(Image credit: NOAA)

This is not the first atmospheric river to hit California  recently. On the last day of December, a similar channel dumped a record-breaking 5.46 inches (14 centimeters) of rain on downtown San Francisco. 

The current storm system threatens to pour over 1 inch (2.5 cm) per hour on the already soaked ground, causing concerns that mudslides may occur in hilly landscapes in the region, WPC said. 

According to the Washington Post (opens in new tab), over 11.6 inches (29 cm) of rain fell in San Francisco in December. That’s more than twice the December average for the city, which is 4.76 inches (12 cm).

Follow Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 





Source link

Previous Post

Bootcamp to help space startups clear regulatory hurdles

Next Post

Raytheon selects Lockheed Martin bus for U.S. Space Force missile-tracking satellite

Next Post

Raytheon selects Lockheed Martin bus for U.S. Space Force missile-tracking satellite

Recommended

Connecting the Dots | Speeding up the satellite regulatory machine

1 month ago

Rocket operators can now apply to launch to orbit from Canada

1 week ago

space

© 2022 Space News Hubb All rights reserved.

Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • Space & Astronomy
  • Space Technology
  • Contact

Newsletter Sign Up.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Space & Astronomy
  • Space Technology
  • Contact

© 2022 Space News Hubb All rights reserved.