It sure seems like the term “atmospheric river” is being thrown around a lot by meteorologists lately. It's a bit of an ominous term if you ask me, I mean the first thing I think of when I hear it is if I should have the wife, kids, and dog ready to board an ark.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an atmospheric river is a river in the sky... "that transports most of the water vapor outside of the tropics...carrying an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow."

So, yes, you could say another heavy rain storm is expected to hit the Pacific Northwest this weekend, and thankfully, it won’t require you to build a boat. It might however require you to adjust your camping plans, especially if they include being in the mountains. If you’re not camping and sticking close to the TRI - I would recommend mowing the lawn on Thursday or Friday.

From the National Weather Service in Pendleton

“Unsettled weather will return to the Pacific Northwest Friday through the upcoming weekend. This will occur as another powerful storm system sweeps across the region, bringing bountiful Pacific moisture inland. The Cascades and mountains of northeast Oregon and southeast Washington look to pick up the most rainfall with this event with some areas seeing another half-inch to an inch or more of rainfall. While there may be a few thunderstorms, the potential for severe storms appears fairly low right now. Details will surely change so be sure to check back for details!”

The National Weather Service reports that the Tri-Cities has a 50% chance of rain on Saturday with highs around 80. Sunday will be slightly cooler with a chance of rain and highs in the mid-70s. As mentioned above, conditions could change so be sure to monitor your weather app for updates. Wherever you plan to travel this weekend – bring an umbrella and rain jacket.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

 

 

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