Global atmospheric water content forecast. Animation of predicted global atmospheric total precipitable water content over 10 days from 3rd May 2016. Total precipitable water is the amount of water that can be obtained from the surface to the top of the atmosphere, if all of the water and water vapour were condensed to liquid. Visible in this footage are the bands of moisture that encircle the equator, along with the atmospheric rivers that transport moisture to higher latitudes. The forecast was made using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Forecast System weather model, which forecasts weather up to 10 days into the future using the current conditions as inputs.