Goddard et al. (2026) The Influence of Atmospheric River Seasonality and Orientation on Pacific Northwest Surface Temperatures

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-19
• Authors: Paul Brent Goddard, Travis Allen O'Brien, Yang Zhou, William D. Collins
• DOI: 10.1029/2026jd046646

Research Groups

• University of Washington Department of Atmospheric Sciences
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of atmospheric rivers on Pacific Northwest surface temperatures during summer and winter seasons, revealing that AR orientation influences temperature anomalies.

Objective

• Investigate how atmospheric rivers modulate daily maximum temperatures in the Pacific Northwest across different seasons and synoptic configurations.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional (Pacific Northwest)
• Temporal Scale: Daily to weekly timescales

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Reanalysis data from ERA5
• Data sources: Integrated vapor transport, Z500 height, total precipitation, cloud cover, and temperature anomalies from reanalysis data

Main Results

• Winter ARs produce statistically significant warming in the Pacific Northwest that persists for over a week.
• Summer ARs exhibit no consistent response due to cancellation of north-tracking versus south-tracking ARs.
• Meridionally oriented summer ARs induce substantial warming (>3°C) associated with enhanced subsidence and poleward heat transport.
• Zonally oriented summer ARs generate significant cooling tied to zonal flow and inland advection of cool, moist marine air.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the role of atmospheric river orientation in modulating temperature anomalies in the Pacific Northwest.
• The results highlight the importance of considering both seasonality and orientation when predicting thermal impacts from ARs.

Funding

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant # [insert grant number]
• NOAA Climate Program Office Grant # [insert grant number]

Citation

@article{Goddard2026Influence,
  author = {Goddard, Paul Brent and O'Brien, Travis Allen and Zhou, Yang and Collins, William D.},
  title = {The Influence of Atmospheric River Seasonality and Orientation on Pacific Northwest Surface Temperatures},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026jd046646},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026jd046646}
}