Flash Flood Threat Shifts to Florida; Snowy in the Northern Plains; Fire Danger in the West

Showers and thunderstorms may produce flash flooding in northern and central Florida into Tuesday; and gusty winds and hail are also possible across the area Sunday. A strong cold front will bring below average temperatures and wintry precipitation to the northern High Plains. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected across parts of the Northwest and southern California. Read More >

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Upper Air Observations

Decoded Upper Level Winds
Plotted Upper Air Soundings

GOES Derived Atmospheric Vertical Soundings
Alternate Sources for Upper Air Soundings
Ohio State

California Wind Profiler Data Can be Found Here

Why Do Forecasters Still Rely on Weather Balloons?

Twice every day, from nearly 100 locations in the United States, the National Weather Service launches weather balloons, carrying instrument packages called radiosondes. Radiosonde sensors measure upper-air conditions such as atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction. The data is important for aviation safety, and meteorologists use radiosonde information to prepare weather forecasts.