The atmospheric river currently impacting the West Coast, while creating dangerous weather conditions for millions of people, could possibly have a chance of temporarily reversing drought conditions in states that desperately need water, experts say.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes atmospheric rivers as “rivers in the sky” because they’re somewhat long and narrow regions in the atmosphere that send most of the water vapor outside the tropics.
The atmospheric river usually brings heavy rain, wind and snow to areas that it flows through, particularly on the West Coast, according to NOAA.
Despite the sustained levels of rain and snow, some experts think it’s too early to determine if the latest atmospheric river will do enough to reverse drought conditions, and they say they’ll have a clearer picture in the spring.
