Dallas to Dexter: The Journey of a Weather Balloon

news image
Special Stories
22 Feb 2018 12:49 PM
How strong is the jet stream? Enough to take a standard National Weather Service upper-air observation balloon on a journey nearly a thousand miles! https://twitter.com/weatherdak/status/966741182532304896 Twice a day, every day NWS offices across the country launch radiosondes, or balloons with attached weather observing instruments. Scientists use the data collected as the balloon travels upwards in the atmosphere to build vertical profiles, which are essential to understanding the structure of weather systems. When collected at a large number of locations, upper-air observations help establish the initial conditions for computer models that forecast weather and climate conditions. On Thursday morning, the NWS office in Fort Worth, TX received word that one of their balloons got caught up in the powerful jet stream of the current storm system and traveled all the way to Dexter, MI. That's nearly 1,000 miles away! https://twitter.com/NWSFortWorth/status/966750854878564354 For WeatherNation, Meteorologist Karissa Klos.
All Weather News
More
ATLANTIC: Another Wave Joins 92-L

ATLANTIC: Another Wave Joins 92-L

We are now a week after the climatological pe

16 Sep 2025 6:50 PM
Florida Rainfall: Nuisance or Beneficial?

Florida Rainfall: Nuisance or Beneficial?

The dry time has been a little hard to enjoy

16 Sep 2025 6:50 PM
Storms Picking on the High Plains

Storms Picking on the High Plains

CENTRAL U.S - A trough pushing in from the we

16 Sep 2025 6:15 PM
Eastern Pacific: Mario Weakens, Sends Moisture to California

Eastern Pacific: Mario Weakens, Sends Moisture to California

While the Atlantic has been relatively quiet

16 Sep 2025 6:10 PM
Coastal Low Spins Trouble Onshore

Coastal Low Spins Trouble Onshore

We've got a low-pressure system out over the

16 Sep 2025 6:10 PM
Northern Lights Close Out the Weekend For Many

Northern Lights Close Out the Weekend For Many

Did you see them? Many might have had better

15 Sep 2025 10:30 PM
Fall Color Starting to Show In Parts of the Lower 48

Fall Color Starting to Show In Parts of the Lower 48

Grab the pumpkin spice and apple cider donuts

15 Sep 2025 1:10 AM