The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Omaha has become the first NWS office to resume twice-daily balloon launches, to support the organization’s weather modeling and forecasting by collecting data on temperature, dew point, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction.
NOAA’s statement
Erica Grow Cei, meteorologist at NOAA’s NWS, stated, “Work is underway to restore services at local forecast offices around the country. The NWS is adjusting some services due to temporary staffing changes at our local forecast offices throughout the country to best meet the needs of the public, our partners and stakeholders in each office’s local area. We will continue to fulfill our core mission of providing life-saving forecasts, warnings and decision support services.”
Trump’s balloon suspension
On March 7, 2025, the NWS temporarily suspended some weather balloon launches in Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine, due to a stated lack of weather forecast office (WFO) staffing. The NWS had been launching weather balloons twice daily from 100 upper air sites throughout the USA and the Caribbean.
In related news, the Trump administration recently proposed reducing NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research’s budget (OAR) from US$485m to US$171m. This would end most climate research conducted by the NOAA and cost hundreds of climate experts and NOAA employees their jobs. Click here to read the full story.
