In recent years, "atmospheric river" has become used much more frequently in scientific papers and in media coverage. According to experts who study climate and weather, a few reasons may explain why.

Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States, NBC News projects — overcoming polls, prosecutions and other pitfalls that appeared to be standing in his way over a two-year campaign. The New York Democrat used a brutal metaphor to describe her far-right Republican colleague.

A third day of an atmospheric river storm has inundated Northern California and the Bay Area, with the storm spreading from the North Bay south across the region, flooding creeks, roads, and low-lying areas.