LOS ANGELES — As winter approached, few anticipated what was about to hit California.
Mired in a serious drought, the state was suddenly battered by an onslaught of 31 atmospheric river storms in a matter of months. While the number alone isn't exceptional, the location, intensity and duration of these storms had a transforming effect on California's climate. Record snowfall. Deadly flooding. The end of many drought restrictions.
But one thing remains a mystery: Why did so many of these bands of water vapor, many back-to-back, slam into California?
