The National Weather Service (NWS), facing significant job reductions, is scaling back or eliminating weather balloon launches at eight northern locations.
Meteorologists and former agency leaders have expressed concern that this will diminish forecast accuracy, particularly as severe weather season approaches.
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Weather balloons, which are launched twice daily at around 100 locations, provide crucial data for forecasters and computer models, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and barometric pressure. Cutting back on these launches is a poor decision, according to eight scientists, meteorologists, and former NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) officials.
The balloons, which ascend to 100,000 feet with sensors measuring various atmospheric conditions, offer unique insights that can't be obtained in any other way, said D. James Baker, a former NOAA chief. Despite previous budget cuts, he maintained the importance of weather balloon observations.
University of Oklahoma’s Renee McPherson called the decision "dangerous," while Ryan Maue, a former NOAA chief scientist, described it as “bad” and noted it would worsen weather forecasting in the US.
Locations such as Omaha, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota, will stop balloon launches due to staffing shortages, while other cities like Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Grand Junction, Colorado, will reduce launches from twice daily to once.
The Trump administration’s significant staffing cuts have contributed to this reduction, with hundreds of NOAA workers let go earlier this year. Additionally, earlier cuts were announced for Albany, New York, Gray, Maine, and Kotzebue, Alaska, bringing the total number of affected sites to 11.
An Associated Press analysis revealed that, from 2021 to 2024, NOAA experienced only one balloon launch outage per day on average. Now, 17% of U.S. balloon sites are either reducing or halting launches, including those impacted by helium shortages and coastal erosion.
Meteorologist Kristen Corbosiero expressed concern about the consequences of fewer balloon launches, particularly in light of the upcoming severe weather season. Weather balloons are critical in forecasting severe storms, especially during peak tornado season in the spring.
Former NOAA Director Elbert "Joe" Friday emphasized the importance of weather balloons in capturing detailed atmospheric data, crucial for understanding storm development.
While satellites offer broad views of weather patterns and ground measurements provide on-the-ground data, weather balloons give essential information from the middle layers of the atmosphere. The reduction in launches is particularly concerning in the northern U.S., where the jet stream, a key driver of weather systems, is located.
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Weather balloons have been an integral part of forecasting since the 1930s, with historical significance during World War II, where they aided in better weather predictions for air combat. Despite the work involved in preparing and launching a balloon, the data they provide is invaluable, with each launch involving around four to five hours of work for one person.