Elsewhere, New Mexico's Colfax County was blanketed in 40 inches of snow, while parts of Albuquerque received 7.5 inches of snow. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a state of emergency, unlocking $1.5 million in state funding to support agencies responding to the winter storm.

As some parts of Colorado still seem to be recovering from massive snowfall that took place last week, one small town is reporting a shocking 54.9 inches of snow –

In the northern hemisphere, atmospheric rivers typically occur during winter and are often cited for strong storms in the West. According to NASA, they are the largest transport mechanisms of fresh water on Earth.

A pair of atmospheric rivers will spread rounds of rain and snow over the next several days. A pair of potent storm systems known as atmospheric rivers are spreading rounds of rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California over the next several days.