NASA Science Flights Venture to Improve Severe Winter Weather Warnings

A team of NASA scientists has embarked on an international mission to better understand severe winter storms. The North American Upstream Feature-Resolving and Tropopause Uncertainty Reconnaissance Experiment, or NURTURE, is an airborne campaign that uses a suite of remote sensing instruments to collect atmospheric data on winter weather with a goal of improving the models that feed storm forecasts. This combination of instruments will also serve as a proxy to demonstrate the potential to collect similar observations from space.

The research team departed from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, aboard the center's Gulfstream III aircraft (G-III) en route to Goose Bay, Canada. For nearly a month, the plane will be making flights stretching from the Northern Atlantic Ocean over Canada through the Northeast United States, measuring moisture, clouds, and ozone as winter storms develop.

The Science Behind NURTURE

The NURTURE mission is designed to collect detailed observations of the atmosphere over a large area, including the Northern Atlantic Ocean, Canada, the Northeast United States, and the Arctic Ocean. The team will use a suite of remote sensing instruments, including the High Altitude and Lidar Observatory (HALO) instrument, which will collect data on atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed.

The HALO instrument is a cutting-edge technology that uses a combination of lidar and radar to collect data on atmospheric conditions. The instrument is designed to operate at high altitudes, where the atmosphere is typically dry and cold, making it challenging to collect accurate data.

Combining Data from Multiple Sources

The NURTURE mission is not the only airborne campaign collecting data on winter weather. A parallel companion mission led by a team of international partners called the North Atlantic Waveguide, Dry Intrusion, and Downstream Impact Campaign (NAWDIC) will be operating out of Shannon, Ireland. Meanwhile, a third airborne mission led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be studying how moisture is transported from the tropics to the Western U.S.

By combining the data collected during these campaigns, scientists will be able to track weather systems as they interact and intersect globally to understand the large-scale flows and small-scale features that drive high-impact winter weather events.

Why This Matters

Severe winter weather events have significant costs that threaten lives and national security by destabilizing supply chains and damaging infrastructure. Data from the NURTURE mission will be used to inform first responders, decision makers, and the public sooner while also demonstrating the potential for NASA's remote weather sensor capabilities to be developed for use on future space-based missions.

The Future of Weather Forecasting

The NURTURE mission is just one example of the innovative approaches being taken to improve weather forecasting. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more sophisticated and accurate weather forecasting models.

In the future, we may see the development of space-based weather sensors that can collect data on atmospheric conditions in real-time. This could revolutionize the way we predict and prepare for severe weather events, saving lives and reducing the economic impact of these events.

Conclusion

The NURTURE mission is an important step forward in our understanding of severe winter weather events. By combining data from multiple sources and using cutting-edge technology, scientists are able to gain a better understanding of the complex interactions that drive these events.

As we continue to develop and improve our weather forecasting models, we can expect to see even more accurate and reliable predictions. This will be critical in helping us prepare for and respond to severe weather events, saving lives and reducing the economic impact of these events.