Atmospheric rivers aren’t just a problem for California. They’re changing the Arctic, too

Atmospheric rivers aren't just a problem for California. They're changing the Arctic, too

The Arctic is seeing a rapid decline in sea ice even during the cold winter months when it should be recovering from the summer melt. Scientists say that one often-overlooked

More frequent atmospheric rivers slow the seasonal recovery of Arctic sea ice - Nature Climate Change

In recent decades, Arctic sea-ice coverage underwent a drastic decline in winter, when sea ice is expected to recover following the melting season. It is unclear to what extent atmospheric processes such as atmospheric rivers (ARs), intense corridors of moisture transport, contribute to this reduced recovery of sea ice. Here, using observations and climate model simulations, we find a robust frequency increase in ARs in early winter over the Bar…

More frequent atmospheric rivers hinder seasonal recovery of Arctic sea ice

The Arctic is rapidly losing sea ice, even during winter months when temperatures are below freezing and ice should be recovering from the summer melt. A new study found powerful storms called atmospheric rivers are increasingly reaching the Arctic in winter, slowing sea ice recovery and accounting for a third of all winter sea ice decline, according to a team led by Penn State scientists.

Atmospheric rivers aren’t just a problem for California. They’re changing the Arctic, too

In January, atmospheric rivers brought a parade of deadly storms that unleashed heavy rain, flooding and mudslides in California. Now they are increasingly reaching the Arctic,

More Frequent Atmospheric Rivers Are Hindering the Recovery of Arctic Sea Ice

Giant trains of warm, moist air are playing havoc with Arctic sea ice during the season when it should be recovering from summer melting.

Atmospheric rivers are hitting the Arctic more often, and increasingly melting its sea ice

Rain and warm air make it harder for sea ice to grow. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesAtmospheric rivers, those long, powerful streams of moisture in the sky, are becoming more frequent in the Arctic, and they’re helping to drive dramatic shrinking of the Arctic’s sea ice cover. While less ice might have some benefits – it would allow more shipping in winter and access to minerals – sea ice loss also contributes to global war…