Jet stream

Current North America Jet Stream Observations & Readings ForecastDirectory • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • United States • • • • • • • • • Alaska • • • • Hawaii • • • United States Weather • • • • • • • • • • • • Canada Weather • • • • • • United Kingdom Weather • • Europe Weather • • • • • • • • • • Oceania Weather • • • World Weather • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Lightning Satellite Mapper • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Smoke • • Radar • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Satellite Imagery • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • National Satellite • • • • • • • • Regional Satellite • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ...

Global Jet Stream Forecast Welcome to our new interactive global jet stream forecast map here on Netweather. Drag the map around to move it, the mouse wheel will zoom in and out (pinch to zoom on mobile and tablet). The maps update four times a day - and are an initial small feature using this new mapping technology - keep your eye out for further additions soon.

Jet streams are currents of air high above Earth. They move eastward at altitudes of about eight to 15 kilometers (five to nine miles). They form where large temperature differences exist in the atmosphere. An air current is a flowing movement of air within a larger body of air. Air currents flow in the atmosphere, the layers of air surrounding the planet. They form because the sun heats Earth unevenly. As the sun beams down on Earth, it warms some areas, particularly the tropics, more than others, such as the poles. As Earth is heated, it warms the air just above it. The warmed air expands and becomes lighter than the surrounding air. It rises, creating a warm air current. Cooler, heavier air then pushes in to replace the warm air, forming a cool air current. Jet streams are air currents in the highest part of the atmosphere. The Atmosphere The atmosphere has a layered structure. From the ground upward, the layers are the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere, which merges with thin gases of space. The boundaries between the layers are not sharply defined, and they vary with latitude and season. Weather occurs in the troposphere. On average, this layer extends to an altitude of about 10 kilometers (six miles), ranging from less than six kilometers (four miles) at the poles to about 20 kilometers (12 miles) at the Equator. The top of the troposphere is higher in summer than in winter. Because the troposphere contains most of the...

Jet streams act as an invisible director of the atmosphere and are largely responsible for changes in the weather across the globe. A jet stream is essentially an atmospheric highway located at the level where jets cruise. Winds in this high-speed river of air often reach 250 mph. Storms are guided in a generally west-to-east fashion due to jet streams. if it were not for jet streams, the weather would change very little from day to day. Some areas might never get rain, while other areas may never see the sun. "During the winter, the jet stream is usually at its strongest and positioned farther south than other times of the year," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. Airline passengers may notice the impact of the jet stream on their flight time. Typically, aircraft flying from west to east will make better time than when flying from east to west. Aircraft flying from west to east often have a jet stream tail wind, as opposed to a jet stream head wind, when flying from east to west. There are three main belts (branches) of the jet stream over both hemispheres of the globe. These belts are scattered from just north and south of the equator to just south or north of the poles. While the jet stream generally flows from west to east, it is often distorted with northward bulges and southward plunges. Meteorologists call the northward bulge a ridge and a southward plunge a trough. On rare occasions, usually during major winter storms such as a blizzard, ...

Current North America Jet Stream Observations & Readings ForecastDirectory • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • United States • • • • • • • • • Alaska • • • • Hawaii • • • United States Weather • • • • • • • • • • • • Canada Weather • • • • • • United Kingdom Weather • • Europe Weather • • • • • • • • • • Oceania Weather • • • World Weather • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Lightning Satellite Mapper • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Smoke • • Radar • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Satellite Imagery • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • National Satellite • • • • • • • • Regional Satellite • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ...

Global Jet Stream Forecast Welcome to our new interactive global jet stream forecast map here on Netweather. Drag the map around to move it, the mouse wheel will zoom in and out (pinch to zoom on mobile and tablet). The maps update four times a day - and are an initial small feature using this new mapping technology - keep your eye out for further additions soon.