Special for followers of codigopostalrd.net
At this time, the United States is facing a dynamic combination of regional extreme weather events, influenced by broader climate patterns.
The most immediate and widespread concern is a powerful atmospheric river sweeping the West Coast, particularly the Pacific Northwest, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, which began intensifying late October 27 and is expected to peak between October 28 and 29.
This phenomenon is causing a deluge of heavy rain, gusty winds, and high-altitude snowfall, with forecasts calling for 2 to 4 inches of rain in low-lying areas and up to 2 feet of snow in mountain passes such as those surrounding Lake Tahoe and the Cascades.
Meanwhile, the Southeast is experiencing a slight risk of below-normal temperatures, related to seasonal cooling trends amid ongoing drought monitoring.
Hurricane Melissa, a rapidly intensifying Category 4 storm in the Caribbean (with the potential to reach Category 5 status), is not directly impacting the continental United States but could generate strong surf and minor coastal erosion along the East Coast and Gulf Coast.
Nationally, 2025 has already seen $14 billion in weather-related disasters in the first half of the year alone, highlighting a year of increased volatility due to wildfires, flooding, tornadoes, and heat waves.
The atmospheric river is the primary driver of severe disruptions at this time.
Widespread low-elevation rainfall of 1 to 3 inches overnight and into the morning is increasing the risk of flash flooding in urban areas such as Seattle, Portland, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Small streams and rivers could overflow their banks, exacerbating erosion in areas affected by previous wildfires in 2025.
Snow and travel disruptions. Heavy snowfall in the mountains, between 30 and 60 cm in the Sierra Nevada and Olympic Mountains, is covering high-altitude roads, causing closures on Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 97.
Travel advisories have been issued for thousands of people in California, Oregon, and Washington, with possible delays at airports such as SEA and PDX due to low visibility and icing.
Wind gusts of up to 80-96 km/h in coastal areas are downing trees and power lines, with scattered power outages already reported on the Oregon coast as of 3:00 a.m.
This could affect between 10,000 and 50,000 homes by this morning.
Regional variations. In the Southeast, for example, from Florida to Georgia, cooler-than-normal nighttime lows (4-10°C) provide brief relief from the summer heat dome but underscore the persistence of the drought, as discussed in real-time weather webinars. The Midwest and Plains remain dry, with lingering effects from June’s large tornado outbreak.
Short-term human and economic toll. By dawn, between 5,000 and 20,000 evacuations are expected in flood-prone areas of the West Coast, with projected economic losses, from the atmospheric river alone, of between $500 million and $1 billion in infrastructure damage, crop losses, and emergency response costs.
Restoring power could take 24 to 48 hours in wind-affected areas, straining power grids still recovering from summer heat waves.
Travel chaos could disrupt morning commutes and supply chains, especially at Pacific ports that handle 40% of US imports.
The deluge could trigger landslides on fire-affected hillsides (e.g., following the Southern California wildfires beginning in January), polluting waterways with sediment and ash.
On the other hand, it would alleviate drought in parched reservoirs, which could increase water levels in the Colorado River Basin by 5% to 10% if rainfall persists.
Vulnerable populations (elderly people in rural mountainous areas and low-income urban dwellers) face greater risks of hypothermia in sudden cold snaps or mold from flooding.
This event compounds the impact of 2025, where extreme heat subjected 255 million Americans to unbearable conditions, which was associated with an increase in respiratory problems and heat-related deaths.
Long-term climate feedbacks. These atmospheric rivers, now 20% to 30% more intense due to warming oceans, indicate an acceleration of climate change. They may temporarily mitigate droughts, but they overwhelm systems designed to historical standards, anticipating more frequent “bomb cyclone” hybrids.
This 3:32 a.m. snapshot. It epitomizes a US climate system under siege. A powerful atmospheric river exemplifies how atmospheric warming supercharges water vapor transport, turning routine storms into multi-day sieges.
While not catastrophic like Hurricane Melissa’s path in the Caribbean, it highlights systemic vulnerabilities: aging infrastructure, urban sprawl in floodplains, and policy delays for building resilience.
Fortunately, advanced forecasts, such as NOAA’s probabilistic outlook, have enabled early warnings, likely saving lives compared to previous events.
Ultimately, the string of extreme events in 2025—from the EF5 tornadoes in June to this torrential downpour on the West Coast—demands urgent federal investment in green infrastructure, equitable adaptation, and emissions reductions to curb La Niña-driven volatility.
Without action, these once-in-a-century events become annual occurrences, eroding economic stability and quality of life. Stay tuned for National Weather Service (NWS) updates at dawn; resilience begins with preparation.
