“Radiosondes”

by Caleb, KE0FOE

As we continue with our series covering JetStream, The National Weather Service’s new Online School for Weather, the topic this time is: The Upper Air.

In order for meteorologists to be able to forecast our weather here on the ground, it’s imperative for them to know what’s happening thousands of feet above our heads. One of the most important tools to accomplish this is the Radiosonde – the small instrument package that is attached to weather balloons.  Radiosondes can reach heights of over 115,000 feet encountering temperatures as cold as minus 130 degrees F and air pressure of only a few hundredths of what is found on the Earth’s surface.

Radiosonde instruments only measure pressure, temperature, and relative humidity data. Upper air wind direction and speed can only be determined by direct tracking of the radiosonde’s movement.

Worldwide, there are about 1,300 upper-air stations. Most radiosonde observations are taken twice daily: at 0000 and at 1200 UTC. Through international collaboration, these observations provide crucial data that are input into the various computer models which help meteorologists forecast our weather.

There are a lot of amazing facts and projects about earth’s atmosphere that you and your family can discover on the National Weather Service’s new Online School for Weather called JetStream. Visit their website: weather.gov/jetstream