Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are mid-latitude systems responsible for extreme weather and significant coastal damage. This paper investigates ARs' impact on North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) using 25 years of ocean reanalysis data and an SST budget equation. The study reveals that ocean dynamics can offset over 100% of anomalous SST warming caused by atmospheric forcing, with ageostrophic advection and vertical mixing being the most significant factors. The SST response varies spatially, with coastal California experiencing enhanced warming due to reduced ageostrophic advection from anomalous southerly winds, and a large region showing warming from reduced cloud cover and increased shortwave radiation.

Tien-Yiao Hsu, Matthew R. Mazloff, Sarah T. Gille, Mara A. Freilich, Rui Sun, Bruce D. Cornuelle