Despite a warming world, there’s little chance of weather becoming unpredictable – or at least less predictable than it already is. That’s according to new research from the University of Missouri’s School of Natural Resources.
On Friday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh spoke with local meteorologist Cindy Preszler about the findings – along with Anthony Lupo, a professor of atmospheric science who helped lead the study.
Lupo’s team was curious whether rising carbon dioxide levels would affect the variability of the jet stream, a typically 10-to-12-day pattern upon which forecasters like Preszler heavily depend for making their predictions. Lupo said the research suggests that variability will remain the same – along with meteorologists’ jobs.
“I’m not surprised [by the results],” Preszler said after reading Lupo’s study. “I guessed that there would be no change.
“I found it interesting that we do see the big changes in the jet after about 10 days. I see that in the patterns right now across the country – we've got a trough out in the western half of the country, with a huge ridge out here in the east, and of course, St. Louis is right in the center of it, so we're getting the influence from both.”
Catch up on the full discussion about Lupo’s research and what all goes into weather forecasting.
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