IMPACTS 2022: NASA Planes Fly into Snowstorms to Study Snowfall

  • Released Thursday, February 10, 2022
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NASA’s Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms (IMPACTS) mission, which began in January and is planned to wrap up at the end of February, has seen upwards of 10 flights so far. Ultimately, what the IMPACTS team learns about snowstorms will improve meteorological models and our ability to use satellite data to predict how much snow will fall and where.

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Complete transcript available.


NASA’s Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms (IMPACTS) mission, which began in January and is planned to wrap up at the end of February, has seen upwards of 10 flights so far. The planes, a P-3 aircraft from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and a high-flying ER-2 jet out of the Pope Army Airfield near Fayetteville, North Carolina, are chasing down snowstorms. Scientists are looking to better understand snowstorms, particularly how narrow structures called snow bands form, why some storms don’t have snow bands, and how snow bands can be used to predict snowfall. The data collected from the instruments on board the aircrafts will help the team relate properties of the snow particles and their environment to large-scale processes – such as the structure of clouds and precipitation patterns. Ultimately, what the IMPACTS team learns about snowstorms will improve meteorological models and our ability to use satellite data to predict how much snow will fall and where.

On February 3rd, NASA’s P-3 took off at 8:00 am from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. With ground operations coordinating its route with the ER-2, the IMPACTS team flew straight into a snowstorm, taking three passes at different elevations— 20,000 ft, 13,000 ft, and 11,000 ft. Both the ground team and the in-flight team kept a close eye on the weather forecast to ensure the best flight path for the aircraft and the instruments on board.

On February 3rd, NASA’s P-3 took off at 8:00 am from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. With ground operations coordinating its route with the ER-2, the IMPACTS team flew straight into a snowstorm, taking three passes at different elevations— 20,000 ft, 13,000 ft, and 11,000 ft. Both the ground team and the in-flight team kept a close eye on the weather forecast to ensure the best flight path for the aircraft and the instruments on board.

Scientists flying on the P-3 on Thursday, February 3, 2022 study images of aggregated ice crystals taken by on-board instruments.

Scientists flying on the P-3 on Thursday, February 3, 2022 study images of aggregated ice crystals taken by on-board instruments.

IMPACTS team member keeps the P-3 aircraft’s flight path up-to-date with Air Traffic Control at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, February 4, 2022.

IMPACTS team member keeps the P-3 aircraft’s flight path up-to-date with Air Traffic Control at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, February 4, 2022.

IMPACTS team members on board the P-3 aircraft monitor incoming data on Thursday, February 3, 2022

IMPACTS team members on board the P-3 aircraft monitor incoming data on Thursday, February 3, 2022

NASA’s P-3 aircraft is getting loaded up for its flight on February 4, 2022 out of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

NASA’s P-3 aircraft is getting loaded up for its flight on February 4, 2022 out of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

IMPACTS scientist works from within the cockpit to coordinate flight plans with the pilots on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

IMPACTS scientist works from within the cockpit to coordinate flight plans with the pilots on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

NASA pilots flying the P-3 aircraft navigate turbulence, bad weather, and flight coordination with the ER-2 on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

NASA pilots flying the P-3 aircraft navigate turbulence, bad weather, and flight coordination with the ER-2 on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

NASA’s P-3 aircraft has been retrofitted for scientific instruments to fly with the IMPACTS mission on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

NASA’s P-3 aircraft has been retrofitted for scientific instruments to fly with the IMPACTS mission on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

The P-3 flies through a snowstorm somewhere between Kentucky and Indiana on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

The P-3 flies through a snowstorm somewhere between Kentucky and Indiana on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

The P-3 nears the end of its flight close to Wallops Island, Virginia on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

The P-3 nears the end of its flight close to Wallops Island, Virginia on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

For More Information

See https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esnt/2022/nasa-planes-fly-into-snowstorms-to-study-snowfall

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:37 PM EDT.

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