Hurricane Hunter planes were busy last week as they tried to fly into the center of Hurricane Melissa as it tore through Jamaica.

Fresh off that mission, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requested flights from those planes into the atmospheric river currently soaking western Washington, but the request has been denied.

The agency said it was due to “unavailable resources.”

Long-time Seattle weather blogger Scott Sistek shared the update on his new site, Emerald City Weather ( emeraldcityweather.com ), and in a conversation with “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio.

Sistek said the agency left the door open for using these planes later in the season when the Pacific Northwest needs extra eyes over the ocean.

Why Hurricane Hunters mat

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