Once a weather balloon is released, it gathers data for about an hour and 45 minutes until it pops around 100,000 feet. That's three times higher than the cruising altitude of most passenger planes.

A high-altitude balloon is held fast as it is inflated on the Valparaiso University campus in Valparaiso, Indiana, Saturday, July 12, 2025. The collaborative effort with NearSpace Education’s ...

Cuts to weather balloon sites spark warnings from meteorologists over missing data Detroit — When the National Guard has to be called out for an ice storm, as was the case in Northern Michigan ...

At least 13 of nearly 100 weather balloon sites were cut or reduced when the White House's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, took aim at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric ...

Staffing shortages and fewer weather balloon launches remain an issue. In April, Congressman Mike Flood promised things would get better, but so far they haven’t.

He relies on electricity for oxygen to help him stay alive. Weather balloon flights are one tool the Salt River Project (SRP) uses to determine how much power is needed for the grid.