New Jet to Improve Winter Storm Forecasts

A high-altitude, high-speed NOAA jet, the Gulfstream IV-SP, will fly over the North Pacific Ocean during the next two months, collecting data on temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind speed and direction in the upper atmosphere. The data will be supplemented by other data at lower altitudes collected by another plane, as well as satellite data, with the hope of enhancing winter storm forecasts for North America. The jet will “collect information where the jet stream and moisture from the ocean interact and breed potentially powerful winter storms that impact North America several days later,” according to the press release.