The science of a Pineapple Express

Things have finally dried and warmed up across much of Mid-Missouri. The same is not true for much of the west coast as an atmospheric event known as a Pineapple Express looks to cause potential widespread floods across northern portions of California.

A narrow band of moisture in the lower-level jet stream extends equatorward from the Hawaiian Islands region to the northeast wrapping around a low pressure system.

This low pressure system is currently tracking got the east with the leading edge of the system looking to impact the west coast beginning Tuesday night. This system will last until late Thursday and early Friday before pushing east and disconnecting from the moisture influx.

In a short span of time (around 48 hours) some areas of the west coast look to see over 4" of rain. This will lead to dangerous flooding and even mudslides.

Pineapple Express events are known to be the largest transporters of fresh water on earth. They can carry over 27 times more water than the Mississippi River.