Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      When severe winter weather threatens U.S. the Hurricane Hunters are therePublished Jan. 27, 2015
                    
                    By Master Sgt. Brian Lamar
                    
                    
                    403rd Wing Public Affairs
            **KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) --**The Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron here, recently deployed a WC-130J Hercules out over the Atlantic Ocean to gather weather data for winter storms "Lola” and “Juno", which are projected to ravage the East Coast throughout the next few days with nearly three feet of snow and 70 mile per hour winds.
The National Weather Service tasked the Hunters to employ dropsondes, a weather reconnaissance device, to measure the weather ahead of the winter storm. The hunters dropped the devices in a large loop pattern nearly 200 miles off the East coast between Jacksonville, Florida, and the Outer Banks, North Carolina on Jan. 23; and between the North and South Carolina line and New York on Jan. 26.
"We fly predetermined tracks that the National Weather Service (has) designed for these types of storms," said Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, the 53rd WRS senior meteorologist. "We are known as the Hurricane Hunters, but we do fly winter storms. Most people do not realize that this is a very important mission because winter storms traditionally cost more American lives each year than tropical weather.”
Although the National Hurricane Center tasks the 53rd WRS with aerial weather reconnaissance missions in the summer, the aircraft are tasked by the National Weather Service's National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) for winter weather. The current agreement for the squadron is to fly up to twice each day for NCEP.
The reconnaissance flights for winter storms are conducted differently than tropical reconnaissance. The squadron averages between 6-12 winter missions each year, according to Lt. Col. Valerie Hendry, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer.
"We are not heading to the eye of the storm -- we are flying ahead of the storm but often have to fly through the frontal," Hendry said. "Over the land there is radar to collect data. There are also people releasing weather balloons. Out over the Atlantic, there are no balloons or radar.”
According to the Hurricane Hunters, timing is crucial and punctuality is critical to mission success.
Unlike tropical weather system data collection, the National Weather Service only populates the forecast models twice a day with satellite data and the real-time weather data such as wind speed, barometric pressure and humidity from the weather reconnaissance aircraft.
"The winter’s storm missions are timed precisely so that data flows right into the computer models almost instantaneously," Hendry said.
The data plays a major role in the way local governments on the ground react to severe weather warnings.
"With a storm like this, the data from a flight is a big deal -- it is important that we get the extra data,” said Lt. Col. Brian Schroeder, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer.  “The more data the forecasters have, the better they will be able to predict the strength and path of the storm. It is important that we get out there and get that data for the forecast models.”
The squadron takes winter storms as seriously as they do a hurricane, because winter storms can cripple a community and cost lives.
"There are occasionally winter storms that have a great economic impact,” Hendry said. “Winter storms can cause power outages and then you have the rainmakers that can cause heavy flooding. They can be very damaging.”
Although the Hurricane Hunters are only flying their third winter mission of the year, they continue to stay poised and prepared to aid with tracking future storms.
"We will continue to do the mission and assist with weather reconnaissance because we are needed to stay ready and vigilant," Talbot said.weather 



Lola 



Juno 



winter 



snow 



blizzard 



hurricane hunters Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil