Sick of bumpy, delayed flights? New weather technology could help.

It can be a tough summer to fly. More passengers than ever will go airborne, according to the Transportation Security Administration. And the weather hasn’t exactly cooperated so far this year.

a blizzard warning in San Diego, sudden turbulence that injured 36 people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight en route to Honolulu, a 25-inch rainstorm that engulfed an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: The skies have confused forecasters and frustrated travelers.

And it can only get worse as the climate continues to change. “Intense events are happening more often and outside of their seasonal norms,” said Sheri Bachstein, CEO of the weather companypart of IBM, which makes weather forecasting technology.

So, will flights just get bumpier and delays even more common? Not necessary. New sensors, satellites and data modeling powered by artificial intelligence are giving travelers a fighting chance against more erratic weather.

Better data, smarter software

The travel industry “makes sure their weather forecasts are right because weather affects everything,” said Amy McGovern, director of the National Science Foundation’s AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate and Coastal Oceanography at the University of Oklahoma.

Those better weather forecasts are based on a type of artificial intelligence called machine learning, where a computer program can essentially use data to improve itself. In this case, companies create software that uses historical and current weather data to make predictions. The algorithm then compares its predictions with outcomes and adjusts its calculations accordingly. By doing this over and over again, the software makes increasingly accurate predictions.

The amount of data that goes into this kind of software is huge. For example, IBM’s modeling system integrates information from 100 other models. It adds wind, temperature and humidity data from more than 250,000 weather stations on commercial buildings, cell towers and private homes around the world. In addition, it includes satellite and radar reports from sources such as the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Some of the world’s most powerful computers then process all this information.

Here’s how all this can improve your future travels:

Safer and quieter flights

The air is getting bumpier. According to a recent report of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, “severe turbulence at typical aircraft flight altitudes could be two to three times more common.”

Knowing where those disruptions are and how to avoid them “is critical for airlines,” Ms Bachstein said.

Pilots have long radioed their encounters with turbulence to air traffic controllers, giving planes approaching behind them a chance to illuminate the seatbelt sign in time for the rough skies. Now a new fleet of satellites could help warn them earlier.

Tomorrow.io, a weather information company based in Boston, received a $19 million grant from the United States Air Force to launch more than 20 weather satellites, starting with two by the end of this year and scheduled for completion in 2025. The constellation of satellites will meteorological reporting around the world, covering some areas not currently monitored. The system reports conditions hourly, a vast improvement over data currently available, the company said.

The new weather information will be used far beyond the travel industry. For their part, pilots will have more complete information in the cockpit, said Dan Slagen, the company’s chief marketing officer.

The turbulence that injured dozens aboard the Hawaiian Airlines flight last December was the result of “a developing thunderstorm that was not reported soon enough,” said Dr. McGovern. That’s the kind of situation that can develop and then be avoided when reports come in more often, she explained.

Less growling on the ground

That’s what the FAA estimates about three-quarters of all flight delays are weather-related. Heavy precipitation, high winds, poor visibility and lightning can all cause a tangle on the tarmac, so airports are finding better ways to track them.

WeatherVOICE, based in Florida, reports and analyzes weather data using artificial intelligence to make recommendations. It also installs small hyperlocal weather stations, which retail for about $20,000, one-fifth the price of older-generation systems, said Ed Mansouri, the company’s CEO.

While airports have always received detailed weather information, WeatherSTEM is one of a small group of companies using artificial intelligence to turn that data into advice. For example, it analyzes reports from a global lightning monitoring network showing moment-to-moment electromagnetic activity to provide guidance on when planes should land and take off, and when ground crews should seek shelter. The software can also help reduce unnecessary airport closures because its analysis of the lightning’s path is more accurate than what airports have done in the past.

The company’s weather stations may include mini-Doppler radar systems, which display precipitation and its movement in greater detail than standard systems; solar powered devices that monitor factors such as wind speed and direction; and digital video cameras. Florida’s Tampa International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, and Orlando International airports all use the new mini weather stations.

The lower price will bring the equipment within reach of smaller airports and enable them to improve operations during storms, Mr Mansouri said, and larger airports could install more than one mini-station. Because airports are often spread over large areas, conditions, especially wind, can vary, he said, making the devices valuable tools.

More accurate data and more advanced analytics help airlines fly better in cold weather. De-icing an aircraft is expensive, polluting and time-consuming, so when sudden weather changes mean it has to be done twice, it has an impact on the bottom line, the environment and on-time departures.

Tomorrow.io partners with airlines such as JetBlue and analyzes weather data to help ground crew use the most efficient chemical de-icing sprays. For example, the system can advise how much to dilute the chemicals with water based on how quickly the temperature changes. The system can also help crews decide whether a thicker chemical treatment called anti-icing is needed and when best to apply the sprays to reduce fouling and cost.

At the University of Oklahoma, Dr. McGovern on using machine learning to develop software that would give hailstorm warnings 30 or more minutes in advance, instead of the current 10 to 12 minutes. That could give crews more time to protect aircraft — especially important in places like Oklahoma, where she works. “Golf balls are falling from the sky and they can do real damage,” said Dr. McGovern.

More on-time departures and smoother flights are most likely just the beginning. Advances in weather technology, said Dr. McGovern, is “a snowball effect.”

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