Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are narrow streams of moisture in the atmosphere that transport water vapor from the tropics to other regions. In the U.S., they mostly impact the West Coast where they account for much of the region’s moisture. ARs can propagate as far inland as Utah, however, and have been identified as the primary source of hydrologic flooding in the western U.S. 

In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, Sarah LeRoy talks with three atmospheric river researchers about the characteristics of ARs in the Southwest U.S., their impacts on water resources and ecosystems, their economic impacts, and how they are projected to change in the future. Alexander (Sasha) Gershunov and Dan Cayan are Research Meteorologists, and Tom Corringham is a Postdoctoral research economist, in the Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography Department at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC-San Diego. Sasha and Dan are also Principal Investigators with the SW Climate Adaptation Science Center, and they are all affiliated with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E). 

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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/

USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest

Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/