EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – When you think of checking the weather, you usually pull out your smartphone and check an app. For Eielson’s weather flight, checking the weather is an important aspect to advising the 354th Fighter Wing’s fighter squadrons to be able to fly and execute the mission.

“We go over to the fighter squadrons and brief them what we’re expecting to see for the day during their flying window,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jered Pradel, 354th Operation Support Squadron weather forecaster. “We give them environmental data occurring during their take off, their landing, where they’re flying to, and any hazards they might encounter to better equip them during their flight.”

The weather flight’s primary focus is the fighter squadrons, but they do interact with multiple other units on a daily basis.

“[We] interact with other units every single day,” said Pradel. “We just give them general weather knowledge as it pertains to their job. So, with airfield management, we will provide them info so they can know when to go out and do their checks. Same thing with snow barn for them to plow the runway, and that’s just to name a couple.”

“The information we get from the weather flight is very important for us to effectively do our job,” said Airman 1st Class Meredith Ramacher, 354th OSS airfield management shift lead. “We work hand in hand with them to get real time weather updates.”

The harsh conditions of interior Alaska, particularly the extreme cold, present unique challenges for Airmen stationed at Eielson. Despite the constant environmental hurdles, the resilience and training of the Weather professionals ensure the mission continues without compromise.

“Because our instrumentation is pretty standard throughout the career field, it’s more susceptible to breaking at a higher frequency due to the extreme cold, and the prolonged sunlight can degrade equipment over time,” explained Master Sgt. Gabriel Teager, 354th OSS Weather Flight Chief. “But through our training and the resiliency we build upon arriving here, we get the job done regardless of the challenges.”

As challenging as the extreme cold and environmental conditions are for the Airmen at Eielson, the task of forecasting weather in Alaska presents its own unique set of obstacles.

“Forecasting for Alaska does not play by any of the same rules of the lower 48,” said Capt. Erin Clapeck, 354th OSS weather flight commander. “Our guys show up here from tech school and they have to learn even more rules. It’s incredible to watch them come and learn how to do their job so well and in turn make sure that everybody else in the wing can do their job safely and smartly.”

A common misconception about the weather flight is they only measure a couple things like rain or snow, but that is not the case.

“We record everything from the mud to the sun,” said Teager. “Pretty much anything environmental. We do a hefty amount of space weather stuff. There’s some stratospheric stuff we have the capability to do. We’re also on the hook for volcanoes and earthquakes. If there’s a worry about particulates in the air, we’ll coordinate with bio-environmental and explosive ordnance disposal about identifying the exact path those particulates are going to take based off the wind speed, direction and moisture.”

Despite the unique challenges posed by Alaska’s extreme cold and unpredictable weather, the dedicated weather professionals at Eielson remain unwavering in their commitment to mission success. Their resilience, continuous learning, and adaptability ensure not only their ability to forecast and maintain equipment, but also the safety and efficiency of the entire Wing.