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US West Coast weather and climate

Atmospheric Rivers Explained: The Rivers in the Sky That Control Your Water

July 25, 2026July 24, 2026 by JOSHUA LINN
Satellite view of an atmospheric river moisture band, a narrow concentrated plume of water vapor stretching across the Pacific Ocean approaching the California coast. Atmospheric rivers explained: invisible sky rivers carrying more water than the Amazon.

There is a river in the sky above your head right now. It carries more water than the Amazon, but you cannot see it. It controls whether your state is in drought or flood. It is called an atmospheric river, and on December 22, 2010, it had already delivered 75 percent of California’s entire annual … Read more

How Atmospheric Rivers Work: The Rivers in the Sky That Shape Our Weather

July 23, 2026July 7, 2026 by JOSHUA LINN
Dramatic storm front approaching a Pacific Northwest coastline with dark layered clouds, representing an atmospheric river weather system

A single band of moisture, invisible to the naked eye, carries more water than the Mississippi River. When it hits land, it can end a drought or drown a city. If you have watched a West Coast weather forecast in winter, you have heard the term. Atmospheric rivers, sometimes called rivers in the sky, sound … Read more

The Blob Is Back: Massive Pacific Marine Heatwave

July 21, 2026June 26, 2026 by JOSHUA LINN
Aerial view of the Pacific Ocean showing vast dark blue waters with warm golden light on the horizon, illustrating the 2026 marine heatwave off the California coast

A vast marine heatwave off the US West Coast is strengthening instead of fading. Here is what it means for fisheries, wildfires, and the developing El Niño.

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