National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Active Weather Pattern for the West into the Plains

A strong Pacific storm continues to track across the Great Basin. Heavy snow is expected across the higher elevations and heavy rain across lower terrain. Strong gusty winds will make for additional hazards for travelers. These winds will bring increasing fire weather concerns for the southern High Plains. Then we will closely watch for severe thunderstorms across the central Plains on Monday. Read More >

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.