Are we getting accurate data from NWS weather balloons?
Here's some news that could critically affect the accuracy of tomorrow's forecast.
Seems the NWS is in the process of changing its radiosondes to a new manufacturer to save some money. The problem is, according to nationally recognized severe storm researcher Bob Maddox and others, the new units seem to have real data problems. They read too dry in many cases, and have significant gaps and errors in wind and temperature data.
These data are critical elements that go into our daily computer models, and are used daily to diagnose the potential for severe storms. They are also part of the data set that is used to monitor climate change.
This is a huge potential problem. The NWS Radiosonde Replacement System (RRS) has been underway since late summer 2005. The Twin Cities NWS office in Chanhassen is already using the new radiosondes, and some of the error examples cited by Maddox include huge gaps in wind data from MSP.
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Maddox also cites an internal memo from top NWS officials with "talking points" for the media on how to address the problems with the data.
Stay tuned on this one, folks. The implications of data errors on these critical twice-daily observations are huge. It may lead to a serious dry bias in forecasting storms by our forecasters and computer models.
In the meantime, check out the details from the article and from the Bob Maddox Web site below. I have interviewed Bob in the past, and he is one of the most respected severe storms researchers in the world.
AZ Daily Star article on radiosonde changes in Tucson
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