“Atmospheric River” Event Dropping Heavy Rain and Snow on These Regions, Starting Tomorrow
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Depending on where you live, winter can mean facing major blizzards and freezing temperatures in the forecast. But even during the coldest months of the year, weather patterns can bring any kind of precipitation in overwhelming amounts. And now, meteorologists warn that an “atmospheric river” will bring heavy rain and snow to some regions. Read on to see what’s in the forecast for these places starting tomorrow.
RELATED: “Arctic Blast” and Widespread Snow Predicted for Next Month—Here’s Where .
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The first few weeks of 2024 have already brought plenty of rough weather , and it appears January is going out at the same busy pace at which it started. For those in the Northeast, that means dealing with yet another fresh dumping of snow.
On Jan. 28, a mix of precipitation hit the region to cap off the weekend, Fox Weather reports. Towns in the Catskill Mountains in New York saw as much as six to 10 inches of snow, while parts of northern Massachusetts saw four to seven inches accumulate.
While the white stuff has already stopped falling in most areas, meteorologists forecast that the system could still produce some patches of light snow in some places through the rest of the day, per Fox Weather. But now, another region is gearing up for a significant weather event of its own.
RELATED: 7 Ways to Winter-Proof Your Car, According to Experts .
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After dealing with drenched conditions over the weekend, the West Coast is now gearing up for another onslaught of rain. Meteorologists say that a series of “atmospheric river” events will bring plenty of warm temperatures and moisture from Washington to Southern California over the course of the week, Fox Weather reports.
As its name suggests, an atmospheric river describes a weather pattern in which heavy moisture flows into a concentrated area . This specific set of events will be brought by a recurring pattern known as the “Pineapple Express” that flows from ocean waters near Hawaii to the Western Seaboard of the U.S., according to Fox Weather. This week, the infamous pattern—which can bring enough moisture to create 10 to 15 inches of rain—could cause flooding in its wake.
“That jet stream is going to be oriented right from west to east, and that means very warm air and a lot of Pacific juice coming right across parts of California into northern New Mexico,” Bob Van Dillen , a Fox Weather meteorologist, said while explaining the forecast. “We see that fetch coming all the way from Hawaii, and that’s going to stretch through the Pacific and into lower parts of California.”
RELATED: Polar Vortex Could Bring “Severe Winter Weather” to the U.S.—Here’s When .
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The beginnings of the latest atmospheric river event will likely strike just above the U.S. on Tuesday, bringing rain to British Columbia, Canada, before pushing south into the Pacific Northwest. Oregon and parts of Northern California could begin to see warm temperatures and heavy precipitation as early as Tuesday evening, with potential flooding in some areas possible, per Fox Weather.
By Wednesday, intense rain is expected to continue through Northern California , where localized flooding could be an issue, according to the Weather Channel. The San Francisco Bay area could see anywhere from three to five inches of precipitation, while areas farther north could get doused with as much as five to eight inches.
And it’s not just water that will fall from the sky: The Sierra Nevada Mountains region will also see heavy snowfall throughout the day, including at lower elevations.
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By Thursday, the intense rainfall is expected to continue its southward push into Southern California as it hits Los Angeles and San Diego—all while rainy conditions linger in its wake back through the Pacific Northwest, the Weather Channel reports. Due to lingering damp conditions from last week, all of these regions could see an increased risk of flooding, landslides, or rockslides in some places.
Heavy rains are expected to continue in Southern California on Friday, while wet weather begins to push into Arizona and New Mexico later in the day and as the weekend begins, Fox Weather forecasts. Rainfall along the coast is then expected to finally start fading off by the evening before mostly clearing through Saturday as heavy snowfall pushes into the Rocky Mountains, according to the Weather Channel.
But the region might not have much time to dry out from the latest bout of rain. Meteorologists are already warning that another atmospheric river event could develop and hit the area as early as Sunday, with the forecast developing as more information becomes available, per the Weather Channel.
“Arctic Blast” and Widespread Snow Predicted for Next Month—Here’s Where
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The kickoff to 2024 has served as a reminder of just how severe winter weather can get. From freezing temperatures to devastating flooding , few regions have been spared since January began. But with several weeks to go before spring kicks in, meteorologists have already predicted there could be another “arctic blast” and more widespread snow next month. Read on to see why conditions could get so extreme in February and what regions the weather could affect the most.
RELATED: Polar Vortex Could Bring “Severe Winter Weather” to the U.S.—Here’s When .
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The frigid temperatures that swept across the nation earlier this month were a jolting reminder that winter had arrived. However, the colder-than-usual conditions were actually the result of a weather pattern known as the “polar vortex.”
The term refers to a counterclockwise flow of air that keeps a block of low pressure and cold air at the planet’s poles in place, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS). Occasionally, it descends into the continental U.S.—and meteorologists say this explains why so many regions woke up to freezing conditions earlier this month.
“It appears as though the minor [vortex] warming during the first week of January and the subsequent destruction of the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere were enough to at least help set the stage for the cold air outbreak over North America this past weekend,” Climate.gov wrote.
RELATED: Weather Predictions Keep Changing—What the Unpredictable Shifts Mean for You .
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Even as last week’s cold snaps have reversed course into some unseasonably warm weather , it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last arctic blast of the winter . According to a blog post by Judah Cohen , an atmospheric scientist and director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), the polar vortex is a “rapidly transitioning situation” that will “come down to rinse, lather, repeat.”
Cohen explained his reasoning during an interview with Fox Weather on Jan. 23, where he also outlined how he believes the forecast will play out in the coming weeks. However, the next cold wave might start off with the opposite weather you expect.
“For the first half of January, that polar vortex kind of stumbled and fell foul there, moved south. We had the arctic outbreak,” Cohen told the network. “But now it’s, it’s back together, let’s say, and, it’s a very tight spin, rotation of the polar vortex. All the cold air is receding back towards the North Pole, and we’re going to have a milder end of the month of January.”
RELATED: 7 Ways to Winter-Proof Your Car, According to Experts .
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However, the rising mercury may end up being a red herring for what’s to come.
“We’re probably going to see a record warm, like we had that happen in December,” Cohen told Fox Weather in his near-term prediction. “But I do think then, often when you have these Canadian warmings, the polar vortex then tends to transition into a very large disruption called a sudden stratospheric warming or a stretching event, like a rubber band (pulling cold air south).”
Cohen told the network that these very conditions are what created this month’s frigid conditions, and he believes there’s a “good chance” it will repeat itself next month.
“I think in the time frame of the second week of February and even possibly mid-February a stretched polar vortex is becoming more likely,” he told Fox Weather. “This should help end the very mild pattern in place across North America. The intensity and duration of cold weather associated with the stretched polar vortex is yet to be determined.”
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Dealing with another blast of freezing temperatures may be par for the course as far as winter is concerned. But Cohen also says some regions could see more snow and extreme weather head their way as another variable affects conditions.
Weather forecasts still consider the effects of El Niño in the winter, which describes a patch of warmer-than-average water off the coast of South America. Typically, it generates wetter weather in the West while bringing more mild, less snowy conditions to the East Coast, according to National Geographic . But as the season progresses, the weakening warmth could bring about a drastic change on top of the polar vortex.
“As far as El Niño, I do think that less than strong is better for snow and cold in the East,” Cohen told The Washington Post in an email.
Altogether, Cohen believes those who are hoping for an early start to spring will be disappointed by what’s likely coming. “I don’t think it’s the end of winter,” he told Fox Weather. “I think it’s not a breakdown of the pattern, but I think a relaxing pattern.”
- Source: NWS: What Is the Polar Vortex?
- Source: NOAA Climate.gov: The polar vortex is acting up
