Climatological Characteristics of Atmospheric Rivers and Their Inland Penetration over the Western United States

Abstract Narrow corridors of water vapor transport known as atmospheric rivers (ARs) contribute to extreme precipitation and flooding along the West Coast of the United States, but knowledge of their influence over the interior is limited. Here, the authors use Interim European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data, Climate Prediction Center (CPC) precipitation analyses, and Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) observations to describe the characteristics of cool-season (November–April) ARs over the western United States. It is shown that AR frequency and duration exhibit a maximum along the Oregon–Washington coast, a strong transition zone upwind (west) of and over the…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture
• S
  Strong
• NO
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• NR
  Natural Resources Conservation Service