If you were one of the more than 2.5 million people who flew safely through a U.S. airport today, you might want to thank your flight crew and a specialized team of meteorologists working behind the scenes.
If you were one of the more than 2.5 million people who flew safely through a U.S. airport today, you might want to thank your flight crew and a specialized team of meteorologists working behind the scenes.
Aviation weather forecasting is important business: At any given time there are 5,000 aircraft crossing the skies over the U.S. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), inclement weather is by far the leading cause of flight delays, and delays cost airlines and passengers billions of dollars each year.
From the 1970s through the 90s, more than 10 commercial planes in the U.S. crashed due to severe weather. Since the last weather-related crash in 1994, NOAA's National Weather Service advances in forecasting downbursts — a particularly dangerous part of thunderstorms — have helped keep fliers safe. Over the years, NOAA has significantly increased the amount and types of data used in forecasting, such as inputs from environmental satellites, while also improving communication with the FAA and expanding pilot education about the weather.
Continue reading at NOAA.
Image via NOAA.
