Private Companies Are Now Gathering Weather Data for NOAA
1 min read
Summary
US National Weather Service (NWS) staff cuts made by the Trump administration led to the suspension of weather balloon launches in Alaska, creating a critical data gap in weather forecasting.
To plug the gap, the NWS started buying data on weather conditions from WindBorne Systems, a start-up that launched balloons to collect atmospheric information.
The company uses AI-guided balloons, which can remain in the air for months rather than the two hours that traditional balloons can manage.
Critics have warned that the NWS and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are now overly reliant on data from private companies and fear they could be put at risk if those companies’ priorities change.
Former NOAA officials have highlighted the importance of maintaining ownership of “backbone” data assets to ensure public safety and preserve the historical climate record.
The NWS is in the early stages of planning a new suite of upper atmospheric observing systems using commercially operated balloons, drones and aircraft.
