A research team consisting of members from Japan’s National Institute of Polar Research, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), and other organizations conducted forecasting simulations of the cold waves that hit Japan and the North American East Coast in February 2015. Results showed that additional data collected that year through more frequent observation of meteorological conditions in the Arctic’s upper atmosphere from both land-based research stations and the research vessel Lance plying winter Arctic waters improved the accuracy of cold wave forecasts.