How many radiosonde sites are in the US?
92 Radiosonde stations
Upper-air Program staff oversee the operation of 92 Radiosonde stations in North America and the Pacific Islands. It also supports the operation of 10 stations in the Caribbean. Radiosondes provide upper-air data that are essential for weather forecasts and research.
Are radiosondes still used?
Radiosondes provide a primary source of upper-air data and will remain so into the foreseeable future.
What is the cost of 1 radiosonde?
about $200
Each individual radiosonde costs about $200. The cost of establishing a radiosonde ground station makes it difficult to increase the spatial extent of the radiosonde network, which is particularly deficient in vast regions of the Southern Hemisphere.
What to do if you find a radiosonde?
If the radiosonde is found after use, the person who discovers it can put it in the bag (no postage required) and give it to his/her mail carrier. The instrument is then sent to a reconditioning center so it can be reconditioned and reused. (Only about 15-20% of the instruments are ever found nationwide.
Who uses radiosonde?
the National Weather Service
In the United States the National Weather Service is tasked with providing timely upper-air observations for use in weather forecasting, severe weather watches and warnings, and atmospheric research. The National Weather Service launches radiosondes from 92 stations in North America and the Pacific Islands twice daily.
What do I do if I find a radiosonde?
What is the difference between a radiosonde and a rawinsonde?
A radiosonde observation provides only pressure, temperature, and relative humidity data. When a radiosonde is tracked so that winds aloft are provided in addition to the pressure, temperature, and relative humidity data, it is called a rawinsonde observation.
Is there a reward for finding a weather balloon?
After the balloons burst in the upper atmosphere, the 3-pound instrument boxes fall back to Earth via parachute. The local scientists would like to recover the polystyrene boxes and instruments for reuse, and are offering a $30 reward to people who find them.
Is there a reward for turning in a weather balloon?
Roman says all was going well until they hit about 20,000 feet and lost all contact with the balloon, including the camera and the GPS system attached to it. The balloon’s fate is still a mystery, and now the company is offering a reward of $1,000 to anyone who can find it.
What is radiosonde used for?
The radiosonde is a small, expendable instrument package that is suspended below a six foot wide balloon filled with hydrogen or helium. As the radiosonde rises at about 1,000 feet/minute (300 meters/minute), sensors on the radiosonde measure profiles of pressure, temperature, and relative humidity.