#hurricanehunter — Public Fediverse posts

Volunteers Step In to Help Understaffed #NOAA Track #HurricaneMelissa
Staffing cuts and a federal #government #shutdown2025 are stretching scientists’ ability to make valuable #hurricane observations.
Because of the federal government #shutdown that has now stretched on for a month, smaller-than-normal crews have been staffing NOAA’s #hurricanehunter missions. Crews that sometimes numbered 15 to 18 now include about 10 or 11 people
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/climate/noaa-volunteers-hurricane-melissa.html
https://archive.ph/Km93E

You can't maintain a complex technical infrastructure indefinitely when keeping it operating depends on retirees who used to work with it professionally volunteering their time. This operational model may well bridge a gap of a few months, but it needs paid staff.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/climate/noaa-volunteers-hurricane-melissa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w08.yNGk.Buu5JLSiYSvr

#GiftArticle #GiftLink #HurricaneHunter #Melissa

Thankfully it's open access. :-)

"Motivated by experiencing extreme turbulence during a mission into Hurricane Ian (2022), this research develops a novel “bumpiness index” to objectively quantify the three-dimensional turbulence felt by scientists, pilots, and crew members on NOAA’s WP-3D (hereafter P-3) Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions. The bumpiness is derived using physics first principles and accounts for translational and rotational accelerations about an aircraft’s three Cartesian axes. Since rotational motions are experienced differently depending on where someone is on a plane, the bumpiness index takes into account seat position. We then rank the bumpiest flights in recent history by gathering flight-level data from every tropical cyclone mission on the P-3 since 2004 when data needed from missions for this analysis became readily available as well as data from the infamous flights into Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989). Based on the maximum bumpiness value, the objective algorithm shows that the flight through Hurricane Hugo was the most turbulent ever with the flight into Hurricane Ian ranked second."

#HurricaneHunter
#AviationTurbulence

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/106/5/BAMS-D-24-0065.1.xml

Thankfully it's open access. :-)

"Motivated by experiencing extreme turbulence during a mission into Hurricane Ian (2022), this research develops a novel “bumpiness index” to objectively quantify the three-dimensional turbulence felt by scientists, pilots, and crew members on NOAA’s WP-3D (hereafter P-3) Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions. The bumpiness is derived using physics first principles and accounts for translational and rotational accelerations about an aircraft’s three Cartesian axes. Since rotational motions are experienced differently depending on where someone is on a plane, the bumpiness index takes into account seat position. We then rank the bumpiest flights in recent history by gathering flight-level data from every tropical cyclone mission on the P-3 since 2004 when data needed from missions for this analysis became readily available as well as data from the infamous flights into Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989). Based on the maximum bumpiness value, the objective algorithm shows that the flight through Hurricane Hugo was the most turbulent ever with the flight into Hurricane Ian ranked second."

#HurricaneHunter
#AviationTurbulence

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/106/5/BAMS-D-24-0065.1.xml

Thankfully it's open access. :-)

"Motivated by experiencing extreme turbulence during a mission into Hurricane Ian (2022), this research develops a novel “bumpiness index” to objectively quantify the three-dimensional turbulence felt by scientists, pilots, and crew members on NOAA’s WP-3D (hereafter P-3) Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions. The bumpiness is derived using physics first principles and accounts for translational and rotational accelerations about an aircraft’s three Cartesian axes. Since rotational motions are experienced differently depending on where someone is on a plane, the bumpiness index takes into account seat position. We then rank the bumpiest flights in recent history by gathering flight-level data from every tropical cyclone mission on the P-3 since 2004 when data needed from missions for this analysis became readily available as well as data from the infamous flights into Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989). Based on the maximum bumpiness value, the objective algorithm shows that the flight through Hurricane Hugo was the most turbulent ever with the flight into Hurricane Ian ranked second."

#HurricaneHunter
#AviationTurbulence

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/106/5/BAMS-D-24-0065.1.xml

Thankfully it's open access. :-)

"Motivated by experiencing extreme turbulence during a mission into Hurricane Ian (2022), this research develops a novel “bumpiness index” to objectively quantify the three-dimensional turbulence felt by scientists, pilots, and crew members on NOAA’s WP-3D (hereafter P-3) Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions. The bumpiness is derived using physics first principles and accounts for translational and rotational accelerations about an aircraft’s three Cartesian axes. Since rotational motions are experienced differently depending on where someone is on a plane, the bumpiness index takes into account seat position. We then rank the bumpiest flights in recent history by gathering flight-level data from every tropical cyclone mission on the P-3 since 2004 when data needed from missions for this analysis became readily available as well as data from the infamous flights into Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989). Based on the maximum bumpiness value, the objective algorithm shows that the flight through Hurricane Hugo was the most turbulent ever with the flight into Hurricane Ian ranked second."

#HurricaneHunter
#AviationTurbulence

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/106/5/BAMS-D-24-0065.1.xml

Thankfully it's open access. :-)

"Motivated by experiencing extreme turbulence during a mission into Hurricane Ian (2022), this research develops a novel “bumpiness index” to objectively quantify the three-dimensional turbulence felt by scientists, pilots, and crew members on NOAA’s WP-3D (hereafter P-3) Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions. The bumpiness is derived using physics first principles and accounts for translational and rotational accelerations about an aircraft’s three Cartesian axes. Since rotational motions are experienced differently depending on where someone is on a plane, the bumpiness index takes into account seat position. We then rank the bumpiest flights in recent history by gathering flight-level data from every tropical cyclone mission on the P-3 since 2004 when data needed from missions for this analysis became readily available as well as data from the infamous flights into Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989). Based on the maximum bumpiness value, the objective algorithm shows that the flight through Hurricane Hugo was the most turbulent ever with the flight into Hurricane Ian ranked second."

#HurricaneHunter
#AviationTurbulence

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/106/5/BAMS-D-24-0065.1.xml

The recent #HurricaneHunter layoffs at #NOAA pose extra risks for the US in the coming #hurricane season.

An overview of how this threatens the forecast capacities, by Dr. Jeff Masters, who has been flying on the hurricane hunter planes himself.

#weather #uspol

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/03/noaa-hurricane-hunter-layoffs-threaten-to-degrade-hurricane-forecasts/

#WaPo PETER DODGE HX SCI (1950-2023)

A hurricane hunter’s final, fitting resting place: Milton’s eye

On Thursday, a team of hurricane hunters released the ashes of Peter Dodge, a longtime meteorologist who died in March 2023.

#Milton #NOAA #HurricaneHunter #PeterDodge

#GiftedArticle
https://wapo.st/3ZZnIlF

Haven’t heard much about the badassery involved here but these Lockheed Orions and their crews are a huge piece in the tracking of hurricanes like Helene and Milton and have been for years. Yet one more reason Project 2025 needs to disappear.
#Orion
#HurricaneHunter

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2024/10/08/miss-piggy-hurricane-hunter-wp-3d-orion/75573466007/

These #HurricaneHunter folks from #NOAA, flying in the #Milton and other storms are really amazing.

N49RF (aka ‘Gonzo’), one of NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft just left ONT bound for Northern California.

#NOAA #HurricaneHunter #N49RF #Gonzo #CaliforniaWx #SanFrancisco #SFBayArea

N49RF (aka ‘Gonzo’), one of NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft just left ONT bound for Northern California.

#NOAA #HurricaneHunter #N49RF #Gonzo #CaliforniaWx #SanFrancisco #SFBayArea

N49RF (aka ‘Gonzo’), one of NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft just left ONT bound for Northern California.

#NOAA #HurricaneHunter #N49RF #Gonzo #CaliforniaWx #SanFrancisco #SFBayArea

N49RF (aka ‘Gonzo’), one of NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft just left ONT bound for Northern California.

#NOAA #HurricaneHunter #N49RF #Gonzo #CaliforniaWx #SanFrancisco #SFBayArea

N49RF (aka ‘Gonzo’), one of NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft just left ONT bound for Northern California.

#NOAA #HurricaneHunter #N49RF #Gonzo #CaliforniaWx #SanFrancisco #SFBayArea

And *no* unexpected turbulence!

RT @[email protected]

#HurricaneIan made for a rough ride during a @[email protected] WP-3D #Kermit #HurricaneHunter flight into the storm this morning. Head to http://noaa.gov/Ian for the latest storm forecasts, maps, and information. Video: Nick Underwood/NOAA

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/NOAA_OMAO/status/1575302186912841728