NCAR scientists are exploring the use of a novel statistical technique to help steer intercontinental flights away from thunderstorms.

NCAR scientist Fei Chen is collaborating with colleagues at China’s Institute of Urban Meteorology to explore how growth in Beijing is changing the city’s summer rainfall patterns, focusing specifically on the relationship between urban expansion, aerosols, and summer rainfall.

The highly detailed forecasts will help the utility use power from turbines when sufficient winds are predicted.

While there has been much attention focused on the question of whether climate change influences hurricanes, scientists are also interested in whether the reverse holds true: do hurricanes significantly impact global climate?

Accurate, high-resolution weather forecasts are a critical part of wind energy production. In December, UCAR signed an agreement with Xcel Energy to develop a wind prediction system for the company’s wind energy farms in Colorado, Minnesota, and Texas.