NASA Takes to Skies to Sharpen Severe Winter Weather Forecasts
A cutting-edge airborne campaign is set to revolutionize the way severe winter storms are forecasted and predicted, providing critical insights that will save lives and mitigate damage. The North American Upstream Feature-Resolving and Tropopause Uncertainty Reconnaissance Experiment (NURTURE), a NASA-led mission, aims to improve the accuracy of winter weather forecasts by collecting detailed atmospheric data using a suite of state-of-the-art remote sensing instruments.
Over the past month, a team of researchers embarked on an international flight route spanning from the Northern Atlantic Ocean over Canada and through the Northeast United States. The Gulfstream III aircraft flew at altitudes ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 feet, collecting crucial data on moisture, clouds, and ozone as winter storms developed.
The NURTURE mission is complemented by two parallel companion missions: the North Atlantic Waveguide, Dry Intrusion, and Downstream Impact Campaign (NAWDIC), operated out of Shannon, Ireland, and a NOAA-led mission studying the transport of moisture from the tropics to the Western United States. By combining these datasets, scientists will be able to track weather systems as they interact globally, unlocking secrets behind high-impact winter weather events.
Severe winter storms pose significant threats to national security, infrastructure, and human life, with costs that can destabilize supply chains and damage critical infrastructure. "Effects from severe weather have significant costs that threaten lives and national security," warned Steven Cavallo, principal investigator for NURTURE and lead scientist at the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology.
According to Amin Nehrir, a research scientist at NASA Langley and co-investigator for the NURTURE mission, space observations in high-latitude Arctic regions lack the sensitivity needed to gather accurate data. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the NURTURE campaign aims to collect valuable insights that will inform first responders, decision-makers, and the public sooner.
As the NURTURE mission unfolds, NASA is poised to demonstrate its capabilities for remote weather sensing and inform future space-based missions. With this innovative research, the agency is upholding its commitment to harnessing expertise and resources to benefit humanity – innovation always at the forefront.
A cutting-edge airborne campaign is set to revolutionize the way severe winter storms are forecasted and predicted, providing critical insights that will save lives and mitigate damage. The North American Upstream Feature-Resolving and Tropopause Uncertainty Reconnaissance Experiment (NURTURE), a NASA-led mission, aims to improve the accuracy of winter weather forecasts by collecting detailed atmospheric data using a suite of state-of-the-art remote sensing instruments.
Over the past month, a team of researchers embarked on an international flight route spanning from the Northern Atlantic Ocean over Canada and through the Northeast United States. The Gulfstream III aircraft flew at altitudes ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 feet, collecting crucial data on moisture, clouds, and ozone as winter storms developed.
The NURTURE mission is complemented by two parallel companion missions: the North Atlantic Waveguide, Dry Intrusion, and Downstream Impact Campaign (NAWDIC), operated out of Shannon, Ireland, and a NOAA-led mission studying the transport of moisture from the tropics to the Western United States. By combining these datasets, scientists will be able to track weather systems as they interact globally, unlocking secrets behind high-impact winter weather events.
Severe winter storms pose significant threats to national security, infrastructure, and human life, with costs that can destabilize supply chains and damage critical infrastructure. "Effects from severe weather have significant costs that threaten lives and national security," warned Steven Cavallo, principal investigator for NURTURE and lead scientist at the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology.
According to Amin Nehrir, a research scientist at NASA Langley and co-investigator for the NURTURE mission, space observations in high-latitude Arctic regions lack the sensitivity needed to gather accurate data. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the NURTURE campaign aims to collect valuable insights that will inform first responders, decision-makers, and the public sooner.
As the NURTURE mission unfolds, NASA is poised to demonstrate its capabilities for remote weather sensing and inform future space-based missions. With this innovative research, the agency is upholding its commitment to harnessing expertise and resources to benefit humanity – innovation always at the forefront.
it's like such a huge deal 4 life & livelihoods...i mean seriously severe winters r not just a bother they can literally be deadly 
my friend's cousin got hurt in a blizzard last yr & she's still dealing with the aftermath 
anyway i guess nasa's new mission is gonna try & improve forecast accuracy 
gotta love that nasa's all about innovation & saving lives 
so they're like "hey we need better weather forecasts" and then NASA's all "oh no worries, we got this". I mean, it's not like it's a complex issue or anything. They just flew around in an airplane collecting data and now we'll have more accurate weather forecasts 
. That's gotta be a huge relief for everyone who's ever gotten caught off guard by a snowstorm 
. And let's be real, the government is all like "we're gonna save lives and mitigate damage" and it's just kinda...yeah okay 
. But hey, at least they're using technology to do it instead of just winging it. 
This is insane! A plane flying in the clouds collecting data on weather? It's like something out of a sci-fi movie 
I mean, can you imagine having accurate forecasts that can save lives and prevent destruction? It's like having a superpower 
. The fact that they're doing this over North America is wild 
, and the fact that it's NASA-led mission means it's gotta be top-notch 
. I'm hyped to see how this is gonna change the game for severe winter weather forecasting 
!
also, i'm all for space tech being used to help us, it's like the ultimate problem solver 
it's crazy they're collecting so much data from high altitudes on a plane which basically gives them a bird's eye view of winter weather patterns that's gonna be super helpful for predicting severe storms and saving lives 
...or in my day we used to watch the weather forecast on tv and that was a big deal 
? just kidding but seriously, its cool to see nasa pushing boundaries like this. those high-altitude flights are crazy 
... anyway, it's awesome that they're trying to improve our weather forecasting skills so we can better prepare for these winter storms. life or death situations should always be a priority 
... like, how much money are we throwing around on a fancy plane to fly over Canada? I mean, what's next? Sending a team of astronauts to study the clouds in my backyard? It just seems like another example of NASA's astronomical spending habits. And let's be real, who really cares about the atmospheric data when it comes down to it? It's not like this is going to make or break anyone's life... unless you're one of those extreme weather enthusiasts 
. It just goes to show that when people come together, amazing things happen 
. Let's keep innovating and pushing the boundaries of what's possible 
. i mean, severe winter storms are no joke, they can bring economies crashing down and people's lives to a standstill. so yeah, nasa is doing some seriously cool stuff here 
The NURTURE mission is straight fire, collecting all this dope data with these fancy remote sensing instruments. And two other missions lined up, NAWDIC and NOAA, are gonna give us the lowdown on how winter storms interact globally 
. This research is gonna inform first responders, decision-makers, and the public sooner 
.
. The future of space-based missions is looking bright 
!
, but let's be real, this is just another example of how much we rely on 'science' to tell us what to do instead of using common sense. And good luck with tracking weather systems globally – it's not like it's gonna stop global warming or anything 
.
. It's like having a real-time weather superpower 
!