Fine-tuning

Inside the plane, half a dozen scientists are fine-tuning 10 kinds of weather sensors, including microwave and laser. They stay on board, monitoring their instruments, as pilots fly over pre-selected snowy mountains, and high, snowy mesas. They’re seeking accurate snow measurements, even when craggy peaks mean snow is at different levels in the peaks and the valleys. Even when trees and forests hide the snow.

The strong hurricanes bearing down on the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico this year have caused renewed interest in predicting these violent tropical cyclones. Forecasting them has improved significantly in the last 25 years, providing more lead time for evacuation and other protective measures. But, it is still an imprecise science that needs a lot of fine-tuning.