The National Weather Service (NWS) said Friday that California and Oregon will see a “flooding threat” this weekend because of an atmospheric river hitting the region.
Why It Matters
The potential for flooding in both states could lead to saturated soils, high river levels and high rainfall totals up to 7 inches, the NWS Weather Prediction Center said in a post on X (formerly Twitter ).
The West Coast has had harsh weather the past week amid widespread rain and rough seas. Currently, portions of Northern California and southern Oregon are under gale warnings, high surf warnings and hazardous seas warnings, the NWS said.
What To Know
An atmospheric river is a region, typically narrow, that carries the most moisture outside of the tropics, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Rich Otto told Newsweek on Friday that this is the “season” for these atmospheric river events to occur. Otto said the event could start Friday evening but dip in intensity Saturday during the day, then pick back up that night…