- Starting the morning of Monday, July 1st, the NWS Tallahassee office will discontinue weather balloon launches due to the rising cost of helium.
- The NWS office will rely on on-ground observations and weather balloon launches from surrounding offices for local weather data.
- Watch the video above to learn more about the helium shortage impacting local weather balloon launches, and why helium alternatives cannot be used at the local office.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A tool that gathers crucial data for weather prediction will soon be discontinued.
I’m First To Know Meteorologist Riley Winch in the College Town neighborhood at Florida State University.
I’m investigating what’s keeping weather balloons grounded and the impact it could have on your neighborhood’s forecast.
Typically, weather balloons are released into the atmosphere twice a day.
They carry instruments to measure temperature, humidity, pressure and wind.
They’re filled with either hydrogen or helium.
But now, a global helium shortage is forcing the National Weather Service to discontinue helium balloons at 12 stations throughout the county, including the one here in Tallahassee.