During which time does a low-level nocturnal jet become the strongest?

The low-level nocturnal jet typically becomes strongest during the early morning hours just before dawn. This phenomenon occurs due to the atmospheric processes that take place overnight. As the earth cools after sunset, the surface winds tend to decouple from the winds aloft, leading to stable conditions near the surface and allowing for the development of a jet stream at low levels.

In the early morning, the temperature inversion that often forms overnight contributes to a stronger low-level jet. This is influenced by the cooling of the surface, which enhances wind speed in the jet. As the sun rises, temperature differences begin to reduce, and this destabilization diminishes the intensity of the nocturnal jet.

While the nocturnal jet does have significant activity around midnight and may pick up in strength later in the evening, the peak strength is typically felt just before dawn, making this time the most critical for understanding the behavior of low-level jets in nocturnal settings.