Courtesy Photo | A WC-130J Super Hercules from the 403rd Wing is prepared for an Atmospheric River...... read more read more
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The Air Force Reserve’s53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the“Hurricane Hunters,”deployed aircraft to California and Hawaii to fly atmospheric river reconnaissance missions to provide weather data that helps improve forecasts of storms along the West Coast.
“The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron supports atmospheric river reconnaissance operations fromNov. 1 through March 31, withfull-time missions typically conducted from early January through mid-March, when these systems pose the greatest impact to the West Coast,” saidLt. Col. David Gentile, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron commander.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of concentrated moisture that transport water vapor from the tropics toward higher latitudes. When these systems make landfall along the West Coast, they can produce intense rain or heavy mountain snow, delivering a significant portion of the region’s annual precipitation in just a few events. While essential for replenishing reservoirs and snowpack, atmospheric rivers can also cause flooding, mudslides and widespread infrastructure damage.
The Air Force Reserve began flying the Atmospheric Rivers missions in 2016, 2018 and 2019 as part of a research-based project, with flights added each year, until it became integrated into the National Winter Seasons Operations Plan in 2020.And last year, crews operated from Mather Airfield, California; their home station at Keesler; and, for the first time, from Yokota Air Base, Japan.
Starting this year, the Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program (AR Recon), led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will coordinate flights to study atmospheric rivers across both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This expansion of AR Recon is called the Global Atmospheric River and Reconnaissance Program. This global program hopes to transform forecasts of extreme weather events and extend reliable predictions beyond the current one-week limit.
“We know that better measurements of atmospheric rivers offshore result in better forecasts and more advanced warnings for severe precipitation,” said Marty Ralph, founding director of CW3E and leader of AR Recon who first had the vision to create GARRP. “We expect that combining observations in the eastern Pacific, western Pacific and now the northern Atlantic Ocean will create something greater than the sum of its parts — a potential breakthrough in forecast improvement for extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere.”
During AR missions, the 53rd WRS fly the WC-130J Super Hercules over the eastern Pacific Ocean, between 24,000 and 32,000 feet to gather data from incoming weather systems. The crews deploy dropsondes, which are small, parachute-equipped instruments that transmit real-time measurements of wind speed, temperature, humidity and pressure as it descends through the storm system.
“We gather real-time atmospheric data that forecasters and researchers can’t get from satellites or surface stations,” said Maj. Sarah Olsen, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer. “The data is fed directly into weather models, enabling forecasters to better predict storm timing, rainfall intensity and landfall location, this information is vital for West Coast communities to prepare and respond.”
These improved weather models are used by National Weather Service, research institutions and emergency management agencies to prepare for heavy precipitation and manage water supplies more effectively by balancing flood protection with water capture for drought-prone years.
Though best known for flying into hurricanes during the summer and fall, atmospheric river reconnaissance represents a growing and essential part of the 53rd WRS’s year-round mission.
“By flying into the winter weather systems over the Pacific, we assist in providing vital data that help meteorologists and civil authorities have the best possible information needed to protect lives, property and critical water resources throughout the western United States,” saidGentile.
**Information provided by Scripps included**
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2026 10:37 |
| Story ID: | 556391 |
| Location: | KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 154 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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