The storm raged over California for more than five days. As the powerful atmospheric river landed, furious winds and torrential downpours ripped trees from their roots, turned streets into rivers and sent mud cascading into homes.
Along with chaos, the storm brought opportunity. On land and in-flight, scientists were ready to deploy instruments that measure atmospheric rivers like this one. They released tools from planes equipped with small parachutes or floated them up from the ground attached to balloons directly into the storm’s path.
These small but mighty devices provide critical intelligence to help improve weather forecasts, as the climate crisis already makes powerful storms more dangerous. Read More
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: Erick Madrid/EPA