Original Title: AskScience AMA Series: We are Climate Scientists Unraveling Water Challenges in the Western US. Ask us anything about atmospheric rivers, extreme weather, and the future of water storage amidst record droughts and floods. Ask us anything!
We are scientists with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. CW3E provides innovative water cycle science, technology and outreach to support effective policies and practices that address the impacts of extreme weather and water events on the environment, people and the economy of western North America.
Our work studying atmospheric rivers is instrumental in supporting water management decisions and flood forecasting. But what exactly is an atmospheric river? Great question. They're massive ribbons of water vapor in the sky that can deliver large amounts of precipitation (rain and snowfall). Accurate forecasts of these phenomena are essential to both water managers and public safety officials.
You can visit our website to dive deeper into our forecast tools, read our latest AR outlooks and storm summaries and learn more about how our tools can be used.
One of the atmospheric river forecasting products CW3E created with partners is the atmospheric river scale (AR Scale). You can sign up to receive AR scale alerts when ARs are forecast along the US West Coast.
The team will be starting around 9 AM PT. Ask us anything!
List of participants:
- Sam Bartlett - Researcher & Meteorologist
- Chris Castellano - Meteorology Research Analyst
- Julie Kalansky - Deputy Director of CW3E
- Shawn Roj - Forecast Verification Analyst
Username: /u/CW3E_Scripps