How Atmospheric Rivers Provide a Vital Source of Water to the West

Atmospheric rivers are tubes or ribbons of water vapor that evaporate from the equator and surge up over the ocean and into the atmosphere. Meteorologist Ben Kirtman explains how atmospheric rivers affect climate in the Western United States.

via The University of Miami

Since atmospheric rivers are typically most active in the winter, they also coincide with other climate patterns that can impact global weather—the El Niño/La Niña effect. These phenomena can have a major influence on the number of atmospheric rivers that develop, Kirtman said. Currently, meteorologists believe we are experiencing a La Niña pattern for a second consecutive year. La Niña years are typically characterized by less rainfall and more drought conditions, which means winters in the southern half of the United States are drier and often warmer. In contrast, the upper half of the country experiences more precipitation, cooler temperatures, and fewer atmospheric rivers during a La Niña winter.

Here, Kirtman elaborates on the characteristics of atmospheric rivers, and explains how La Niña and climate change could impact them.

Read more.


Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 38,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — New Products 11/15/2024 Featuring Adafruit bq25185 USB / DC / Solar Charger with 3.3V Buck Board! (Video)

Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: A New Arduino MicroPython Package Manager, How-Tos and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

Adafruit IoT Monthly — The 2024 Recap Issue!

Maker Business – Adafruit Daily — Apple to build another chip at TSMC Arizona

Electronics – Adafruit Daily — SMT Tip – Stop moving around!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !


No Comments

No comments yet.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.