Weather balloons take research from campus to the clouds

Three, two, one. Today we launched a research weather balloon to collect data. We have a lot of weather data down here at the surface, but what we really need is data aloft. Most of the weather that we experience down here at the surface manifests itself hours before up in about 30,000 feet or so of the atmosphere and the troposphere. So having data is critical, and so even our weather balloon today will go into all of the operational weather models, and it'll eventually trickle down into the forecast that's on your phone. National Weather Service stations launch them twice a day. To look at what the environment looks like in the atmosphere, being able to come out here and just like look up in the sky and then watch the computer and see what's actually like happening is, I just think it's amazing to experience it. Having our students out here getting to launch a research-grade weather balloon that ultimately also is impacting the weather models is kind of rare. There's not many universities that have the technology to be able to launch this type of balloon. They're actually seeing in real time all of the data coming in. We're able to point out and teach them all the math they've learned in class. It actually really happens and it's playing out in front of their eyes and they were a part of it.

research 1:19 Weather balloons take research from campus to the clouds

By:

Luke Hayes

1 Apr 2026 357

College of Natural Resources and Environment students are partnering with researchers from 16 universities across the United States and Canada to launch weather balloons as part of the atmospheric rivers science program. This project focuses on key storm systems known as atmospheric rivers and gives students valuable hands-on research experience.

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