Radiosonde balloon measurements provide high-resolution atmospheric profiles from US stations. The dataset contains metadata and up to 1-second observations of pressure, height, temperature, dew point, and wind. It is maintained by NOAA NCEI and covers the period from September 2015 to the present.
Use Cases
- Validate numerical weather prediction models using observed vertical profiles of temperature, dew point, and wind.
- Analyze atmospheric stability and boundary layer height using the high-resolution pressure and height columns.
- Study wind shear and its variations by examining wind speed and direction across different altitudes.
- Investigate humidity trends by processing the dew point temperature observations from balloon ascents.
- Correlate surface weather events with upper-air conditions using station metadata and launch information.
Strengths
- Provides up to 1-second temporal resolution for detailed vertical profile analysis.
- Covers a time range from September 2015 to present, enabling longitudinal studies.
- Includes spatial coverage of US CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, and territories.
Limitations
- Data coverage began in 2015 for only part of the US upper air station network, limiting historical comparisons.
- Specific row counts, sample sizes, and file sizes are unknown, complicating resource planning.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA_NCEI
- Collection Method
- Observations gathered from radiosonde balloons launched from US upper air stations.
- Time Range
- September 2015 to present
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- US CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories