VAWS: Differentiating between impactful and non-impactful Atmospheric River events in Southeast Alaska

Speakers: Deanna Nash (Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography) and Aaron Jacobs (National Weather Service)

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are known to trigger floods, landslides, and avalanches that threaten lives and livelihoods across Southeast Alaska. ARs are common in this region, occurring 8-15 days per month, yet only about six AR days per year are extreme enough to cause damage. Current research identifies key meteorological conditions that differentiate between high and low impact events. During this webinar, we will discuss the development of a forecasting tool that leverages model ensemble data to visualize the strong relationship between AR intensity, freezing level and extreme precipitation.