Rivers in the sky are raining down on the Pacific Northwest. What are they? / WKKY Country 104.7 Ava Berger Nov 13, 2026 | 5:01 AM Atmospheric rivers are large bands of water vapor in the sky. They are dumping trillions of gallons of water on Washington and Oregon, just as high tides and winds batter shorelines. (Image credit: David Ryder)