In the big picture, Earth's wind patterns are driven by hot air rising near the equator and the rotation of the planet. This creates huge, looping currents of atmospheric circulation around the globe.

But when it comes to fitting wind patterns into the model, there are a few limitations. If forecasters need wind measurements close to the Earth, Bedka says, it’s fairly simple to take readings ...

In short, the global warming induced by increased greenhouse gases changes the major wind systems on Earth. This in turn reduces the area of highly reflective clouds, leading to additional warming.