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NOAA hurricane hunters track powerful Pacific Northwest storm as major flooding looms
A major atmospheric river storm battering the Pacific Northwest has prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deploy its hurricane hunter aircraft for a rare midwinter mission. The specialized plane, typically used during Atlantic hurricane season, is gathering real-time atmospheric data to help refine forecasts as the region braces for widespread flooding and landslides.
An unusual mission over the Pacific
The NOAA aircraft, designated TEAL 71, flew multiple passes over the Pacific Ocean off Washington’s coast on Monday, releasing sensor instruments into the storm system. These instruments measure temperature, wind speed, pressure, and humidity, critical data that enhance the accuracy of computer weather models in predicting the storm’s path and intensity.
Meteorologist Scott Sistek explained that the aircraft’s deployment highlights how severe the event is: “By flying a hurricane hunter into our storms, we can get much more real-time and verified data that we can feed into our computer models.” Such missions are rare, as the planes are usually reserved for tracking tropical cyclones, not winter storms.
Torrential rain and dangerous flooding expected
Heavy rainfall is expected to bring up to five inches of precipitation over the Seattle metropolitan area through Wednesday, an amount typically seen over a full month. In the Cascades, totals could exceed 10 inches, leading to rapid river rises and dangerous flooding.
Authorities have placed more than nine million people under flood watches across several western states. Major rivers, including the Snoqualmie, Skagit, and Skykomish, are forecast to reach critical flood levels. In Carnation, the Snoqualmie River could crest at nearly 58 feet by Thursday morning, threatening nearby homes, farmland, and roads.
Climate-driven weather extremes
Experts say the growing intensity of such atmospheric rivers is a direct consequence of global warming. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the western United States is projected to experience more frequent and potent atmospheric river events as climate change accelerates. Warmer air holds more moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall and an increased risk of flooding.
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes classified the current storm as AR 4 on its five-point scale, a level described as “mostly hazardous” due to its potential for widespread flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage.
As the Pacific Northwest faces days of relentless rain and swelling rivers, scientists view this mission as crucial in understanding and adapting to a future where such climate-linked storms become the new normal.
