Observed integrated moisture fields within tropical storm systems

Advances in observational technology and numerical weather prediction have advanced the forecasting skill of hurricane tracks, but intensity forecasts have shown less improvement. One possible reason is a paucity of moisture observations. GPS stations provide continuous, and all weather observations of the integral quantity PW. A comparison of GPS PW retrievals within 200km of hurricane landfall shows a significant correlation between PW and surface depression. This high correlation implies that the expansion of Suominet into the Caribbean should improve the forecasting of hurricane strength. This network expansion will occur over the next twelve months.