What is the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS)?
It is an instrument aboard weather satellites that provides microwave data essential for hurricane forecasting.
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News / Weather
Critical Hurricane Forecast Tool Abruptly Terminated: Impact on 2025 Season
The U.S. Department of Defense's sudden termination of a critical hurricane forecast tool has sent shockwaves through the weather and climate community. This decision, formalized by NOAA, impacts the availability of real-time microwave data...
Key Insights
- The Department of Defense has stopped processing and transmitting essential microwave data used in hurricane forecasts.
- This data, gathered by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) on weather satellites, is crucial for understanding storm structure and intensity, especially at night.
- The termination increases the risk of 'sunrise surprises,' where storms are significantly stronger than predicted overnight.
- The loss of data impacts the accuracy of storm positioning and intensity estimation, potentially leading to larger forecast errors.
- Why this matters: Accurate hurricane forecasts are vital for the safety of tens of millions of Americans living along hurricane-prone shorelines. The loss of this data could lead to inadequate warnings and preparedness.
In-Depth Analysis
The abrupt discontinuation of data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) significantly reduces the amount of microwave satellite scans available to forecasters. These scans are essential for peering beneath the clouds and understanding structural changes within hurricanes that indicate rapid intensification.
James Franklin, former National Hurricane Center chief, warns of increased delays in recognizing storm strengthening and forecasting rapid intensification. The data is also crucial for accurately positioning the center of storms, and errors in initial positioning can lead to substantial forecast errors.
Microwave data is used in AI-driven neural networks like DMINT to estimate hurricane intensity, particularly in the absence of hurricane hunter aircraft. While other microwave data sources exist, the DoD satellites comprised half of all microwave instruments, meaning a significant reduction in data availability.
While the Department of Defense launched the Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite in April 2024, data from this satellite is not yet available to forecasters.
FAQ
Why is microwave data important for hurricane forecasting?
It allows forecasters to see through clouds, understand storm structure, estimate intensity, and accurately position the storm's center.
What is a 'sunrise surprise' in hurricane forecasting?
It refers to the realization at first light that a storm has become much better organized and stronger overnight, a phenomenon that may be missed without adequate microwave data.
Takeaways
- The accuracy of hurricane forecasts for the 2025 season may be compromised due to the loss of critical satellite data.
- Residents in hurricane-prone areas should stay informed and prepared, as forecasts may be less reliable.
- The loss of data increases the potential for underestimating storm intensity and misplacing storm positions, leading to inadequate warnings.
Discussion
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Sources
Disclaimer
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