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atmospheric river
DCHP-3 (Feb 2023)
Spelling variants:Atmospheric River, "atmospheric river", AR
n. — esp. British Columbia, Weather, Climate change
a narrow band of cloud that delivers sustained, heavy precipitation.
Type: 5. Frequency — The form itself is an American neologism (see the 2005 quotation). However, atmospheric river has become an important term in the Canadian lexicon (see Chart 1), especially in the province of British Columbia, since the early 2010s (see the 2012 quotation), when weather patterns started to become more extreme as a result of human-caused climate change. In particular, the heavy, destructive flooding that resulted from the atmospheric rivers in the heavily populated Lower Mainland region in the autumn of 2021 prompted its widespread use by Canadians across the country (see the 2021 and 2022 quotations). The term atmospheric river has become so mainstream, especially on the West Coast, that it is even being used figuratively (see the 2023 quotation).
The weather phenomenon known as an atmospheric river is particularly prevalent in BC's coastal areas due to the actions of currents in the Pacific Ocean during important phases of its development.
Quotations
2005
[A lot of the area the Altair will cover is far from human habitation. A couple of flights will concentrate on the area over Channel Islands National Park. A 21-hour flight will head hundreds of miles offshore to investigate an "atmospheric river" before turning around and heading for home.]
2012
This storm system is ending up being a one in two-year event.
An atmospheric river has provided rainfall amounts from Wednesday afternoon of 180 mm, plus about 20 per cent more water from snowmelt.
BC Hydro is advising a high river flow advisory from Friday at 6 p.m. through Tuesday morning and for the public to stay away from the Puntledge River. BC Hydro will increase the Puntledge River flow by up to 500 per cent.
A thin but long strip of precipitation known as an atmospheric river hit the West Coast on Thursday and went right over the Ash and Puntledge river watersheds. This watershed took a direct hit and more heavy rain may fall until noon Saturday before dissipating.
2021
A strong cold front associated with the frontal wave fed by an atmospheric river during the night of January 12 and early morning hours of the 13th led to strong winds and (somewhat counter-intuitively) the warmest temperature of the month along the leading edge of the airmass.
2021
"A significant atmospheric river event will bring copious amounts of rain and near-record temperatures," said Philippe-Alain Bergeron, a meteorologist with Environment Canada's Pacific Prediction Centre.
"The rain will be heaviest Sunday afternoon," Bergeron said, due to an atmospheric river that's bringing moisture from the Pacific Ocean.
2022
Last winter, an "atmospheric river" deluged parts of Vancouver's Lower Mainland and also flooded the southern B.C. town of Lytton, which only months earlier had been burned to the ground a day after setting a new heat record for Canada.
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