atmospheric river
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of atmospheric river
First recorded in 1990–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That so-called Pineapple Express was forecast to be the strongest atmospheric river storm to hit Southern California in nearly two years, according to the National Weather Service.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
Heavy rain from an atmospheric river system caused flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas still scarred by wildfires.
From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025
The so-called Pineapple Express was forecast to be the strongest atmospheric river storm to hit Southern California in nearly two years, National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025
Water levels receded until February 2024, when an atmospheric river dumped an additional 1.5 inches of rain onto the lake, making it deep enough that people could kayak on it.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
Residents in the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada are bracing for what could be record setting floods as an atmospheric river dumps heavy rain on already swollen rivers.
From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.