Study on improving flight tracks to optimally improve winter-storm forecasts published in Meteorological Applications

A new study published in Meteorological Applications finds that changes in the flight track patterns of aircraft flying into storms to collect observations for weather forecast models could positively impact forecasts. Differences in where data is collected within a storm changes the model forecast.

*NASA’s Global Hawk, uncrewed aerial system. Image Credit: NOAA.*

The largest impact could come from reconnaissance devices used to measure storm conditions called dropsondes being released at the exit region of a jet stream, a region of fast upper-level winds favoring storm development.

For more on the story, go to https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/news/reconnaissance-flight-track-patterns/. To read the study, click on the abstract below.

For more information, contact AOML.communications@noaa.gov.