Our current jet stream configuration is so straight you could trace it with a ruler. I'm sure you've heard of the jet stream, the narrow bands of stronger winds that circulate high above the ground.

Climate scientists have long watched the jet stream with fascination and growing concern. These rivers of air racing across our planet at altitudes of roughly 5-9 miles dictate much of our day-to-day ...

Jet streams are often referred to as the "motor" of global weather: High-altitude wind currents steer areas of high and low pressure, playing a crucial role in shaping our weather. However, how these ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. When the bubonic plague reached ...

Tree-ring data reveal that periodic shifts in strong winds high above the Earth's surface have driven opposite climates in different parts of Europe for the past 700 years and likely much longer, ...

(The Conversation) – The summer of 2025 brought unprecedented flash flooding across the U.S., with the central and eastern regions hit particularly hard. These storms claimed hundreds of lives across ...

The jet stream also played a role in the 2025 hurricane season. Given its west-to-east wind direction, the southward dip of the jet stream—along with a weak high pressure system over the ...