HARTFORD, Conn. — Supply chain disruptions are now affecting the way weather forecasters gather data.
A statement from the weather service says it's "due to a global supply chain disruption of helium and a temporary issue with the contract of one hydrogen supplier," and the changes are until further notice.
There are 101 sites throughout the United States and the Caribbean that launch weather balloons, typically twice per day, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern.
As the balloon rises through the atmosphere, often 20 or more miles high, observations are taken, including temperature, humidity, pressure and wind. This data is ingested into computer models which are used to forecast the weather. Meteorologists plot this data on atmospheric sounding, which can show how the air changes with height, critical in forecasting winter and severe weather.
Nine sites are affected by the shortage. Southern New England and the New York City area are at the center of the data void.
The launch site in Chatham on Cape Cod was actually taken offline more than a year ago because it was at an exposed coastal location and vulnerable to erosion. The weather service has not replaced it yet.
The loss of that data is compounded by the cuts on Long Island and in Washington D.C., where balloons will not be launched on a regular basis.
In Albany, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, the launches have been cut to once per day.
So, the nearest regular balloon launches to our west are in Ohio and Michigan.
The National Weather Service claims the reduction won't have an impact on the quality of forecasts, but many meteorologists argue that's not true, as detailed in this article from the Washington Post.
Ryan Breton is a meteorologist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at rbreton@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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