The term sa国际传媒渁tmospheric riversa国际传媒� 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.sa国际传媒檚 environment ministry to be sa国际传媒渆xtremely low.sa国际传媒�

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 donsa国际传媒檛 know, the term sa国际传媒渁tmospheric riversa国际传媒� was coined in the U.S. in 1998, and refers to sa国际传媒渓ong narrow streams of high water vapour concentrations in the atmosphere that move moisture from tropical regions towards the poles across the mid latitudes.sa国际传媒� 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.sa国际传媒檚 environment ministry.

The same report notes that as the planet continues to warm, we can expect atmospheric rivers and other extreme events to sa国际传媒渋ntensify, move northward and become more frequent over time.sa国际传媒�

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 sa国际传媒� not El Ni帽o sa国际传媒� as culprits.

Back in B.C., donsa国际传媒檛 let all the rainfall fool you. Last year was one of the driest on record for much of the Interior, and Environment Canada doesnsa国际传媒檛 expect this wintersa国际传媒檚 precipitation will do anything to alleviate the long-term drought conditions wesa国际传媒檝e been experiencing.

Regardless of where you stand on climate change, or atmospheric rivers, as an Environment Canada meteorologist puts it, sa国际传媒渘ot having snowpack is going to be potentially very problematic going forward.sa国际传媒� 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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