A major pattern change is set to deliver California’s first atmospheric river of the season next week. Significant rain and snow is in the forecast for the Golden State, while damp, dreary days are ahead for other parts of the West as signs of El Niño’s influence on the upcoming winter season emerge.
November got off to a wet start across the Pacific Northwest, but the rainy weather didn’t make it south into much of California. Two things will bring a dramatic change to that trend next week: a southward dip in the jet stream – the river of fast-moving air that carries storms around the planet – will be pointed directly at California; and a large area of disruptive atmospheric energy will linger just off the West Coast.
Next week’s storms will be fueled in part by an atmospheric river – the region’s hallmark type of winter storm, which transports abundant moisture from the tropical Pacific straight to the West Coast.
The West was drenched by many of these systems last winter: California alone saw at least a dozen significant atmospheric rivers, which claimed at least 18 lives and dealt tremendous damage to infrastructure. But they also brought much-needed rain and snow to a region that desperately needed it, filling reservoirs and allowing water officials to take stock and prepare for a future with less freshwater.
Where rain is expected this week
