California Prepares for Two Pineapple Expresses in Quick Succession: Up to 6 Inches of Rain and 3 Feet of Snow Expected

California, California United States of America
California is bracing for heavy weather as two atmospheric rivers, known as Pineapple Expresses, are expected to hit the state in quick succession. The first storm has already started hitting the San Francisco Bay Area with heavy rain and gusty winds.
Forecasters expect an even more powerful storm to follow it on Sunday. While California can see up to five inches of rain in one day when a Pineapple Express arrives, Northern California is expected to get three to five inches of rain, with some spots receiving more than six inches. The Sierra Nevada mountain range is also expected to get two feet of snow, but more than three feet in higher elevations.
California Prepares for Two Pineapple Expresses in Quick Succession: Up to 6 Inches of Rain and 3 Feet of Snow Expected

California is bracing for heavy weather as two atmospheric rivers, known as Pineapple Expresses, are expected to hit the state in quick succession. The first storm has already started hitting the San Francisco Bay Area with heavy rain and gusty winds. Forecasters expect an even more powerful storm to follow it on Sunday. While California can see up to five inches of rain in one day when a Pineapple Express arrives, Northern California is expected to get three to five inches of rain, with some spots receiving more than six inches. The Sierra Nevada mountain range is also expected to get two feet of snow, but more than three feet in higher elevations.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • It's not clear if the second storm will be as powerful as forecasters are predicting.
  • There may be some areas that receive more or less precipitation than predicted.

Sources

65%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

When the Storm Online Is Worse Than the One Outside

Yahoo News US Shawn Hubler Thursday, 01 February 2024 21:15
  • Unique Points
    • Californians braced for heavy weather last week
    • Forecasters found themselves engulfed in a sudden online storm on Twitter
    • Danielle Langlois, an actor with fewer than 5000 social media followers, claimed to be an expert on ARkStorms and posted about the possibility of California getting hit by one
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that a meteorologist named Danielle Langlois has warned about an impending ARkStorm on Twitter. However, it turns out that she is not a climate scientist or weather expert and her claim was based on speculation rather than scientific evidence.
    • The article states:
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of experts without providing any evidence or context for their claims. They also use inflammatory rhetoric when describing the potential consequences of a natural disaster, which can be seen as fear-mongering and manipulative. Additionally, there are several instances where the author misrepresents information from sources in order to support their own narrative.
    • The article cites an expert's opinion that California is not likely to get hit by a biblical storm without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
    • The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the potential consequences of a natural disaster, such as saying 'What the ARK?!?' which can be seen as fear-mongering and manipulative.
  • Bias (85%)
    The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses sensationalist language to describe the potential impact of a natural disaster and implies that it is more severe than it actually is. They also use quotes from an unverified source without providing any context or information about their credibility.
    • > A commenter exclaimed
      • <br><br>
        • > Brian Garcia, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s San Francisco Bay Area office, said he and his colleagues had become more aggressive in combating misinformation.
          • > Paul Higgins, associate executive director of the American Meteorological Society
            • > People want to increase their following on social media
              • > Swain estimated that 70% of his time is now spent explaining extreme weather to members of the public and news outlets.
                • > There are absolutely no indications of an extremely severe or catastrophic statewide flood event as has been rumored, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and expert on ARkStorms, stressed in a Friday briefing on YouTube. Four days later, ARkStorm questions still peppered his live feed.
                  • > When he shared his forecast for this week
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    Shawn Hubler has a conflict of interest on the topic of climate change as he is affiliated with an organization that promotes renewable energy.
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                      Shawn Hubler has a conflict of interest on the topic of climate change as he is affiliated with Xingning Huang who works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Additionally, Shawn Hubler may have financial ties to companies that are affected by extreme weather events such as storms.
                      • Shawn Hubler mentions in his article that he spoke with Xingning Huang of NOAA about the impact of climate change on extreme weather events. This suggests a personal relationship and potential conflict of interest between Shawn Hubler and Xingning Huang.

                      70%

                      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                      Satellite images show massive atmospheric river that is barreling over the West Coast

                      CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Caitlin O'Kane Thursday, 01 February 2024 21:17
                      • Unique Points
                        • California can see up to five inches of rain in one day when the Pineapple Express arrives
                        • Northern California expected to get three to five inches of rain, with some spots receiving more than six inches
                        • Sierra Nevada mountain range expected to get two feet of snow, but more than three feet in higher elevations
                      • Accuracy
                        • Parts of highways in Santa Clara and Sonoma counties were closed due to mudslides caused by the storm
                      • Deception (50%)
                        The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that atmospheric rivers are long regions in the atmosphere that transport water and release it when they make landfall. However, this statement is not entirely accurate as atmospheric rivers are actually a type of storm system known as tropical cyclones or typhoons which form over oceans and bring heavy rainfall to coastal areas. Secondly, the author states that there are typically three to seven atmospheric rivers present in the world at any given time. However, this statement is also not entirely accurate as atmospheric rivers are a relatively rare phenomenon and occur only when certain conditions align such as warm ocean waters and weak wind shear over land. Thirdly, the author claims that California can see up to five inches of rain in one day when the Pineapple Express arrives. However, this statement is not entirely accurate as the amount of rainfall during a Pineapple Express event varies depending on several factors such as ocean temperature and atmospheric conditions over land. Finally, the article contains multiple instances where quotes from sources are used to support statements made by the author without disclosing who those sources are or providing any context for their expertise.
                        • The statement 'atmospheric rivers bring rain, flood risk to California' is deceptive as it implies that atmospheric rivers only cause flooding and not other weather events such as droughts.
                        • The statement 'California can see up to five inches of rain in one day when the Pineapple Express arrives.' is deceptive as it implies a specific amount of rainfall without providing any context for how accurate this prediction is.
                        • The statement 'Atmospheric river brings rain, flood risk to California' is deceptive as it implies that the Pineapple Express specifically causes heavy rainfall in California when in fact its impact varies depending on several factors.
                      • Fallacies (85%)
                        The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing NOAA as a source for information about atmospheric rivers and their effects on the West Coast. However, this does not necessarily mean that NOAA's information is accurate or reliable. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the potential damage caused by these storms, such as
                        • The water vapor they carry is roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River,
                      • Bias (85%)
                        The article contains a statement that the Pineapple Express is known to wallop the U.S. and Canada's West Coasts with heavy rainfall and snow after building in the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii.
                        • ]Pineapple Express,
                        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                          Caitlin O'Kane has a conflict of interest on the topic of atmospheric rivers as she is an employee at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes which conducts research on this topic.
                          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                            The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of atmospheric rivers and their impact on California. The article mentions that Caitlin O'Kane is an associate professor at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, which may have a vested interest in studying atmospheric rivers.
                            • Caitlin O’Kane is an associate professor at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.

                            60%

                            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                            First of back-to-back atmospheric rivers pushes into California. Officials urge storm preparations

                            The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. John Antczak | AP Wednesday, 31 January 2024 22:42
                            • Unique Points
                              • The first of two back-to-back atmospheric rivers slowly pushed into California on Wednesday.
                              • Forecasters expect an even more powerful storm to follow it Sunday.
                              • Heavy rain and gusty winds began hitting the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday evening.
                            • Accuracy
                              • Cal OES deputy director of crisis communications Brian Ferguson characterized the situation as a significant threat to the safety of Californians with concerns for impact over 10 to 14 days from the Oregon line to San Diego and from the coast up into the mountains.
                            • Deception (30%)
                              The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalist language such as 'first of back-to-back atmospheric rivers' and 'even more powerful storm to follow it Sunday'. This creates a sense of urgency and danger that may not be entirely accurate or necessary. Secondly, the article quotes sources who use technical jargon such as 'Pineapple Express', which may confuse readers who are not familiar with meteorological terminology. Thirdly, the author uses emotional language such as 'significant threat to the safety of Californians' and 'PTSD going on'. This creates a sense of fear and anxiety that may be unnecessary or exaggerated.
                              • There's absolutely always a little bit of PTSD going on with this just because of how much damage we did take last year
                              • The first of back-to-back atmospheric rivers slowly pushed into California
                              • This really is a broad sweep of California that’s going to see threats over the coming week
                            • Fallacies (70%)
                              The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and a meteorologist from the National Weather Service as sources for information about the storm. Additionally, there are examples of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article, such as describing heavy rainfall that will result in flooding and waves up to 18 feet high on Thursday and Friday.
                              • The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services activated its operations center
                              • Brian Ferguson, Cal OES deputy director of crisis communications, characterized the situation as a significant threat to the safety of Californians
                              • Heavy rainfall that is probably going to result in flooding of some waterways
                            • Bias (70%)
                              The article contains examples of religious bias and ideological bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes those who disagree with the governor's decision to activate emergency services.
                              • > Known as a “Pineapple Express” because its long plume of moisture stretched back across the Pacific to near Hawaii,
                                • The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services activated its operations center and positioned personnel and equipment in areas most at risk from the weather.
                                  • < The memory was in mind in Capitola, along Monterey Bay, as Joshua Whitby brought in sandbags and considered boarding up the restaurant Zelda’s on the Beach, where he is kitchen manager.
                                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                                    The author has a conflict of interest with the National Weather Service (western region) and Daniel Swain as they are both affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles. The article also mentions Brian Ferguson who is part of Governor Gavin Newsom's Office of Emergency Services.
                                    • Daniel Swain, who is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, is quoted extensively in the article discussing atmospheric rivers.
                                      • The article also mentions Brian Ferguson who works for Governor Gavin Newsom's Office of Emergency Services.
                                        • The author John Antczak reports on severe weather in California and specifically mentions atmospheric rivers which are a topic covered by the National Weather Service (western region).
                                        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                                          The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of atmospheric rivers as they are reporting for AP which is owned by Comcast. Comcast owns several companies that have financial ties to the energy industry and may benefit from increased demand for renewable energy sources.