Strong jet streams often plow into the West Coast in wintertime, but the heaviest rains and snows occur when the flow dips far south over the Pacific, allowing it to bring an atmospheric river of warm, moist air from the subtropics to California.

Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) are receiving prestigious honors from a number of professional bodies for their research, leadership, and commitment to advancing science.

UCAR and NCAR have grown and matured in so many ways, keeping pace as the world around them has also changed. Over the last half century, we’ve watched environmental issues evolve from local foci to regional and global expanses.

By almost any metric, UCAR and NCAR have been successful since the time a half century ago when a small group of people, most of them university professors of atmospheric science, boldly envisioned a national center—run by and for the universities—which would not only serve science and society but also complement and strengthen the universities themselves.

Issuing a five-day weather forecast was once a daring enterprise. Today, we’re not only accustomed to long-range weather forecasts but also to seasonal-scale outlooks. Hurricanes and sea ice show how far we've come.