Up, up and away: Weather balloon research boosts transportation planning

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After a few shots of helium to inflate it, a white weather balloon launched from CSU’s Foothills Campus Thursday and rose to heights of 42,000 feet in the troposphere, gathering data needed by the Colorado Department of Transportation to make a variety of decisions about state roadway management.

Then, after about an hour floating over Northern Colorado at the whim of prevailing winds, the balloon went “pop,” and its $100 sensor fell to the ground.

The launch was the ninth in a yearlong collaboration between Colorado State University atmospheric scientists and CDOT. Weather balloons setting sail from CSU collect temperature, humidity, wind speed and air pressure readings at varying altitudes – providing key predictive information for the state.

The data contributes to CDOT forecasts used to make decisions about road treatment, equipment deployment and traveler alerts.

“Understanding what is happening in the atmosphere above Colorado’s roads gives our crews a critical edge,” said Michael Chapman, CDOT’s winter operations program manager and chief meteorologist. “This data helps us get ahead of storms in winter and anticipate severe weather in the summer, so we can make smarter decisions about when and where to deploy resources and give travelers better information before conditions change.”

For CDOT, better atmospheric data yields targeted action. For instance, launching the balloon during the monsoon system in Colorado last week helps CDOT better predict potential flooding along vulnerable corridors, such as those surrounded by wildfire burn scars. That, in turn, allows the agency to plan for impacts such as rockslides over roadways.

The project, which began in April, will send a total of 35 balloons aloft to gather weather data over Northern Colorado, said Brenda Dolan, a research scientist in CSU’s Department of Atmospheric Science.

Atmospheric scientists often use the weather balloons during field research and share all data gathered with the National Weather Service, Dolan said.

She noted that the balloon launches give students opportunities to work with instruments. Graduate students Rachael Auth and Brendan Eckerman helped with the launch on Thursday.

“We are excited for this partnership that both benefits CDOT operations and also provides us with useful observations for research and forecasting,” Dolan said.

Coleman Cornelius, Josh Rhoten and the Colorado Department of Transportation contributed to this report.