The 5 p.m. Tuesday update from the National Hurricane Center is in. Here's a look at the latest forecast cone. There remains a good deal of variation between forecast models regarding Erika's track, strength and timing. Join our team of meteorologists on NBC2 News right now for analysis. NBC2 interactive forecast cone: http://bit.ly/1vCh0t9 | Gulf Coast News

Improving hurricane forecasts means testing historical storms with today's sophisticated models and supercomputers. NASA and NOAA work together in gathering ground and satellite observations, as well as experimenting with research forecast models. As a result of this collaboration, model resolution has increased, and scientists are discovering more about the processes that occur within these powerful storms. Read more here: http://go.nasa.gov/1UuBG4T | NASA Earth

Hurricane season in the Atlantic started June 1, and NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have a crucial view of the storms from space. Satellites like GPM (Precipitation Measurement Missions) can create 3D renderings of hurricanes, which allows researchers to study individual components of storms. Using computer models, scientists can reconstruct entire hurricane seasons to understand how they're changing in a warming wo