Today's Meteorological Research II: Reinventing the Wheel (At Higher Cost)

Yesterday, I wrote about some of the considerations applicable to this year's "Vortex 2026" storm research program sponsored by NOAA. 

At the same time The Wall Street Journal posted a video pertaining to drone research as it applies to tornado forecasting and warning. The screen capture above correctly points out the great distances between weather balloon stations is a significant impediment to having data on the scale needed to forecast tornadoes with more accuracy. 

The video explains that NOAA is experimenting with drones (that cost up to $100,000+ per drone!) to measure the atmosphere up to 5,000 feet above the ground with a goal of getting measurements up to 10,000 feet in the future. 

What is the problem? We had a perfectly good method of of taking these measurements -- at much less cost -- as recently as a dozen years ago!

The map above displays (red) the location of NWS weather balloon sites as shown in the video (there are about 90 more in the U.S.A.). It also shows the NOAA Wind Profiler Demonstration Network as it existed just before it was shut down in 2014 in blue and green. It could automatically take measurements up to 10,000' (or slightly above) as often as every five minutes at no incremental cost. There were also three wind profilers in south central and southeast Kansas that, while not part of NOAA's network, sent their data to the NWS to be used for weather forecasting. 

This is superior to drones which require (at least at this time) a human operator and the likelihood of loss when in the storm environment (icing, hail, destructive up/downdrafts, loss due to storm carrying a drone long distances).  

I certainly agree these atmospheric measurements are needed to improve forecasts and, perhaps, storm warnings. But, like more accurate tornado warnings, we had them. I'm not sure why NOAA keeps feeling the need to reinvent the wheel.