The National Weather Service has reduced balloon flights in some parts of the Rockies.
Colorado and Wyoming’s only balloon flights have been reduced from twice a day to once, according to weather service announcements. Plus, forecasting flights in South Dakota and Nebraska were canceled.
Mike Nelson, a retired TV meteorologist in Colorado, was shocked to hear about the reductions in flights.
“ I've been doing this for half a century,” Nelson said. “I've never seen anything like this before.”
Nelson, who has relied on balloon information for decades as a weather journalist, said the move could hinder forecast information ahead of the spring storm season.
Despite the use of advanced technology, like satellites, balloons provide critical information in weather forecasting. Nelson said they are the best way to get solid data about the lower layer of the atmosphere, under 10,000 feet, where storms brew.
“This is critical, very potentially life-saving information,” Nelson said.
He added that the reductions could leave residents across wide regions, including rural areas, with less information about daily weather patterns.
“For farmers and ranchers, your forecasts are going to be worse,” Nelson said. “Your storm warnings are not going to be as good because we won't have the data to predict when we're going to have an outbreak of large hail and tornadoes.”
Fewer forecasts could also affect aviation safety, he added.
Nelson said the timing for the reductions in flights is bad with the stormy spring months ahead.
Asked to comment, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service provided a short emailed response.
“The more data we can feed into our weather models, the more accurate our forecasts, but I can't speculate on the extent of future impacts,” National Weather Service Public Affairs Director Susan Buchanan said by email.
Wisconsin and Michigan also saw weather balloon cuts.
The balloon flight reductions come amid larger federal cuts to the weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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