Researchers on the IMPACTS mission aboard the research plane are monitoring weather data collected by onboard instruments.
Erica McNamee/NASA
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Erica McNamee/NASA
Researchers on the IMPACTS mission aboard the research plane are monitoring weather data collected by onboard instruments.
Erica McNamee/NASA
Over the last few winters, researchers have deliberately flown through snowstorms. And above the icy clouds, the team has gathered all the information they can understand — how do winter storms work?
“It’s assumed there’s a lot of snow there, but it’s not quite that simple. That’s really what we’re trying to figure out,” says the meteorologist. Lynn McMurdy.
With more accurate data, we may be able to make better predictions about whether storms will cause dangerous conditions to close schools, block roads and cancel flights. There, NPR’s science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce took to the air on her one of those flights and shares her report with us today.
You can read more about Nell’s report on this research effort here.
Want to hear about other storm tracking happening in the name of science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
