Over the past couple of years, since the draconian federal cuts to the National Weather Service that resulted in a decrease in the launches of twice-daily weather balloons, I noticed a corresponding decrease in the accuracy of forecasts. As a hiker, I get out alot. For some of the hikes I plan, especially with groups, I depended on weather forecasts that were accurate up to a week before.
Once the cuts hit, if I was lucky, I was maybe able to plan two days out. It was clear to me how the cuts were impacting weather forecasting. In this era of climate-change fueled weather, accuracy is even more important.
So when I read the Facebook post below, I was thrilled that NWS is once more going to launch twice-a-day weather balloons.
Here's to more accurate weather. Science for the win!
"Exciting news for weather forecasting and public safety! National Weather Service offices have been directed to resume launching weather balloons twice a day. The timely, routine launches began again on November 1.
Those balloons carry instruments high into the atmosphere, gathering information forecasters rely on to understand developing storms and improve predictions. Staffing shortages and layoffs following the DOGE cuts disrupted that work for months.
Getting launches back on schedule is an important step to improving our forecasts, model data! We must make sure NOAA and the National Weather Service have the resources and staff to continue to be a world leader in weather forecasting.
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