{"id":63528,"date":"2020-12-17T20:54:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T20:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/17\/cold-winds-dont-stop-hurricane-hunters-winter-storm-missions-begin\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:09:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:09:42","slug":"cold-winds-dont-stop-hurricane-hunters-winter-storm-missions-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/12\/17\/cold-winds-dont-stop-hurricane-hunters-winter-storm-missions-begin\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold winds don\u2019t stop Hurricane Hunters: Winter storm missions begin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Hurricane Hunters<\/a> flew their first mission to study winter storms this winter season out of Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WC-130J Super Hercules<\/a> aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron are best known for flying through the eyes of furious hurricanes. But even in the winter months, the Air Force said in a Thursday release, Hurricane Hunters are needed<\/a> to collect vital meteorological data on severe seasonal storms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft survey winter storms for much the same reason as they survey tropical disturbances during the hurricane season \u2014 to collect rare data over the water, that can be used to better refine weather models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winter storm season began on Nov. 1, the release said. But the Hurricane Hunters weren\u2019t needed for another month and a half, when a storm appeared about to form in the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A WC-130J Super Hercules from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron takes off Dec. 15, 2020 from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. As of Nov. 1, the winter storm season began, and the Hurricane Hunters took off for their first mission of the season. (2nd Lt. Christopher Carranza\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor winter storms we don\u2019t fly through the system, we fly in front of the system,\u201d Lt. Col. Kaitlyn Woods, the squadron\u2019s chief aerial weather reconnaissance officer. \u201cThis particular one we are doing these next two days is a storm they believe is going to generate off the Gulf Stream off the East Coast, so we want to get ahead of the system to collect what the atmosphere currently looks like and how it will affect the incoming system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t