Chronicles of the pandemic - USA

Even coronavirus does not spare meteorologists who, with most commercial aircraft on the ground, are missing an essential part of the data on which they base their predictions. The risk is that of less accuracy to the detriment of farmers. For Americans in general, however, there should be no problem: even if the weather is one of the favorite topics, especially in elevator conversations, now with the invitation to stay at home because of the coronavirus, the weather forecast has lost appeal. The lack of 'eyes' in the sky comes in the spring flood season in North America, and as farmers prepare to plant wheat, corn and soybeans. However, it is not the first time that American meteorologists are faced with a scarcity of data from the sky. It had already happened during 9/11 when the blockade of flights caused a deterioration of the models used. Since then, however, road has been made: there are fleets of satellites that monitor from above and there are balloons launched twice a day by at least 850 weather stations around the world that rise up to 35,000 meters and transmit second by second information . And there are flights that never stop like those of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the US Air Force Reserve. Not to mention hurricane hunters, currently flying over the Pacific to collect data.