The term 含羞草研究社渁tmospheric river含羞草研究社� came up earlier this week in the newsroom after warmer temperatures and heavy rainfall triggered a flood watch in the Lower Mainland.

Comments in-house about the phenomena were not favourable, as the Shuswap and other parts of the province also experienced seemingly unseasonable warm, wet weather that no doubt diminished snowpack levels which, as of Jan. 1, were considered by B.C.含羞草研究社檚 environment ministry to be 含羞草研究社渆xtremely low.含羞草研究社�

Many British Columbians became familiar with the term during the extreme wet weather of November 2021 that led to devastating floods and landslides that killed five people.

For those who don含羞草研究社檛 know, the term 含羞草研究社渁tmospheric river含羞草研究社� was coined in the U.S. in 1998, and refers to 含羞草研究社渓ong narrow streams of high water vapour concentrations in the atmosphere that move moisture from tropical regions towards the poles across the mid latitudes.含羞草研究社� This is according to the Atmospheric Rivers State of Knowledge Report, released by the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and B.C.含羞草研究社檚 environment ministry.

The same report notes that as the planet continues to warm, we can expect atmospheric rivers and other extreme events to 含羞草研究社渋ntensify, move northward and become more frequent over time.含羞草研究社�

While B.C. continues to see more rain than snow, another part of the world known for its rainy season this time of year is in the midst of a destructive record drought.

December to May is normally the wet, rainy season in the Amazon Basin; however, according to scientists, an ongoing drought has drained rivers, resulted in the death of endangered dolphins and has upended the lives of millions of people. A report by said scientists points to poor land, water and energy management practices and climate change 含羞草研究社� not El Ni帽o 含羞草研究社� as culprits.

Back in B.C., don含羞草研究社檛 let all the rainfall fool you. Last year was one of the driest on record for much of the Interior, and Environment Canada doesn含羞草研究社檛 expect this winter含羞草研究社檚 precipitation will do anything to alleviate the long-term drought conditions we含羞草研究社檝e been experiencing.

Regardless of where you stand on climate change, or atmospheric rivers, as an Environment Canada meteorologist puts it, 含羞草研究社渘ot having snowpack is going to be potentially very problematic going forward.含羞草研究社� Particularly as we transition into summer/fire season, and potentially more record-breaking temperatures.

Lachlan Labere is the editor with the Salmon Arm Observer.

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