New Observatories Will Warn Public about "Atmospheric River" Floods

SAN FRANCISCO--The heavy rainstorms that flooded parts of northern California this past week were caused by an " atmospheric river "--a long, narrow conveyor belt of rainstorms that stream in from the Pacific Ocean. Meteorologists were able to predict the storms five days in advance, thanks to a new network of weather sensors recently installed in the state. Although the network is only partially complete, when it is finished in 2014 it should allow forecasters to predict upcoming storms and floods with much greater precision, and could provide a model warning system for flooding on continental west coasts worldwide.