As rain, winds batter California, there’s more to come. What is a ‘Pineapple Express’?

A series of storms lined up to batter California with wind and rain has been dubbed a “Pineapple Express,” but what does the meteorological phrase actually mean?

The initial storms in the series hammered the state, killing at least six people, downing trees and leaving tens of thousands without power, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Evacuation warnings have been issued for some areas as the already saturated state faces more storms in an “atmospheric river.”

Here’s what to know:

What are atmospheric rivers?

“Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This water vapor can be equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

When an atmospheric river hits land, it releases water vapor in the form of rain or snow, the NOAA said. It can produce extreme rainfall and floods by stalling over an area.

What is the Pineapple Express?

The Pineapple Express is an atmospheric river that forms near Hawaii, where pineapples are grown, the NOAA said.

It carries warm, moist air north to the West Coast, where it can produce up to 5 inches of rain a day, the agency said.

Moviegoers also may recognize the phrase from the 2008 action-comedy “Pineapple Express,” which had more to do with a pot dealer on the run from hitmen than meteorology.

This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 2:51 PM with the headline "As rain, winds batter California, there’s more to come. What is a ‘Pineapple Express’?."