Once we let go of the balloon, the helium will lift it and the wind will push it through the sky. It is important to know the speed and direction of the wind so we can predict where to find our package when it lands.
Our flight unit will weigh several pounds and we want to have it reach a height of 100,000+ft (approx 20miles) so we can get some great photos and video of the weather from way up in the sky. To have this happen we will need a huge balloon which will be 6ft in diameter when filled on the ground and will grow to nearly 25 feet in diameter when it expands at the top of the atmosphere! We will need to fill the balloon with a lot of helium to get it off the ground and have it rise quickly up into the air.
These large balloons are difficult to manage and it will take several people to hold on to the balloon and release it safely into the air. Once it is let go the wind will push it along at a slow pace near the ground, but once it is thousands of feet in the air it will enter the jet stream and get blown at speeds of up to 80mph! Our trip will take about 3-4hrs and that means our balloon could go along way from where we launched it. In fact, depending on the wind speed and direction it could come back down as far away as Pennsylvania!
The National Weather Service in Buffalo will be launching their balloon with ours and we will be able to get the speed and direction of the wind not just at the ground, but also high up in the sky. This way we will be able to have a good idea where our balloon will go once we can't see it from the ground any longer.
You can see the launch Live on TV Monday May 24th between 6 & 7am here on Channel 2!
We will post the National Weather Service data for our launch on this page. Here is s sample of the information gathered by the National Weather Service Balloon.
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PRES HGHT TEMP DWPT RELH MIXR DRCT SKNT THTA THTE THTV
hPa m C C % g/kg deg knot K K K
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1000.0 129
989.0 215 10.2 8.3 88 6.99 0 0 284.2 303.8 285.4
980.0 292 10.2 6.9 80 6.40 17 2 285.0 303.1 286.1
971.0 370 11.8 6.8 71 6.42 33 4 287.4 305.6 288.5
953.0 529 11.6 4.6 62 5.61 67 8 288.7 304.9 289.7
943.8 610 10.9 4.2 63 5.51 85 10 288.8 304.7 289.7
925.0 780 9.4 3.4 66 5.31 100 15 288.9 304.3 289.8
910.1 914 8.4 3.1 69 5.29 105 20 289.2 304.6 290.2
904.0 970 8.0 3.0 71 5.28 104 21 289.4 304.7 290.3
877.1 1219 7.9 1.0 62 4.70 100 27 291.8 305.6 292.6
862.0 1363 7.8 -0.2 57 4.39 75 24 293.1 306.2 293.9
850.0 1478 7.0 -1.0 57 4.20 55 21 293.5 306.0 294.2
845.2 1524 6.7 -1.1 58 4.21 50 24 293.6 306.2 294.3
814.1 1829 4.4 -1.4 66 4.27 45 28 294.3 307.1 295.1
784.1 2134 2.1 -1.7 76 4.33 55 32 295.1 308.1 295.8
765.0 2334 0.6 -1.9 83 4.37 52 29 295.5 308.6 296.3
755.1 2438 -0.1 -2.9 81 4.10 50 28 295.8 308.2 296.6
726.8 2743 -2.3 -6.0 76 3.38 50 32 296.7 307.1 297.3
724.0 2774 -2.5 -6.3 75 3.31 50 32 296.8 307.0 297.4
723.0 2785 -2.5 -6.6 73 3.24 50 33 296.9 306.9 297.5
720.0 2818 -2.7 -9.7 59 2.56 50 33 297.1 305.0 297.5
715.0 2873 -3.1 -12.1 50 2.12 50 34 297.2 303.9 297.6
712.0 2907 -3.1 -17.1 33 1.41 50 34 297.6 302.1 297.8
700.0 3041 -3.3 -19.3 28 1.19 50 36 298.8 302.7 299.0
699.4 3048 -3.3 -19.3 28 1.19 50 37 298.8 302.7 299.1
696.0 3086 -3.5 -19.5 28 1.18 50 36 299.1 302.9 299.3
671.0 3375 -5.7 -19.7 32 1.20 53 30 299.7 303.7 300.0
647.2 3658 -6.0 -14.3 52 1.97 55 24 302.5 308.9 302.9
638.0 3770 -6.1 -12.1 63 2.38 40 20 303.6 311.3 304.1
622.6 3962 -7.5 -12.5 67 2.37 15 14 304.2 311.8 304.7
622.0 3969 -7.5 -12.5 67 2.37 15 14 304.2 311.9 304.7
598.5 4267 -10.4 -12.8 82 2.39 20 14 304.3 312.0 304.7
580.0 4509 -12.7 -13.1 97 2.42 4 13 304.3 312.1 304.8
568.0 4669 -13.9 -14.2 98 2.25 354 13 304.7 312.0 305.1
564.0 4723 -12.3 -12.7 97 2.57 350 13 307.2 315.5 307.7
555.0 4846 -12.1 -14.9 80 2.18 342 12 308.9 316.0 309.3
552.8 4877 -12.3 -15.2 79 2.13 340 12 309.0 316.1 309.4
510.3 5486 -15.4 -21.3 61 1.37 345 14 312.4 317.1 312.6
509.0 5505 -15.5 -21.5 60 1.36 339 14 312.5 317.1 312.7
502.0 5610 -15.7 -27.7 35 0.79 309 12 313.5 316.3 313.6
500.0 5640 -15.9 -27.9 35 0.78 300 11 313.6 316.4 313.7
470.4 6096 -19.5 -28.9 43 0.75 285 9 314.6 317.3 314.7
466.0 6167 -20.1 -29.1 45 0.74 282 9 314.7 317.4 314.9
451.2 6401 -21.9 -31.5 41 0.61 270 11 315.4 317.6 315.5
400.0 7280 -28.5 -40.5 31 0.28 275 8 317.9 318.9 317.9
398.0 7315 -28.8 -40.8 30 0.27 270 8 318.0 319.0 318.0
381.1 7620 -31.2 -43.5 29 0.21 285 10 318.8 319.6 318.8
364.9 7925 -33.6 -46.2 27 0.17 290 12 319.5 320.2 319.5
349.4 8230 -36.0 -48.8 26 0.13 275 13 320.2 320.8 320.3
339.0 8442 -37.7 -50.7 24 0.11 282 16 320.7 321.2 320.7
334.4 8534 -38.5 -51.4 24 0.10 285 18 320.8 321.2 320.8
305.6 9144 -44.1 -56.3 25 0.06 275 22 321.3 321.6 321.3
300.0 9270 -45.3 -57.3 25 0.06 275 21 321.4 321.6 321.4
281.0 9703 -49.3 -61.3 23 0.04 277 22 321.7 321.9 321.7
253.0 10384 -54.7 -65.7 24 0.02 280 25 323.5 323.6 323.5
250.0 10460 -55.1 -66.1 24 0.02 280 25 324.0 324.1 324.0
234.0 10879 -57.1 -68.1 24 0.02 277 28 327.2 327.2 327.2
232.0 10933 -56.5 -67.5 24 0.02 276 29 328.9 329.0 328.9
227.0 11071 -57.5 -68.5 23 0.02 275 30 329.4 329.5 329.4
222.0 11211 -57.1 -68.1 24 0.02 275 32 332.1 332.2 332.1
219.7 11278 -57.2 -68.2 23 0.02 275 33 333.0 333.1 333.0
210.0 11561 -57.5 -68.5 23 0.02 280 28 336.8 336.9 336.8
203.0 11776 -55.7 -66.7 24 0.02 283 25 342.9 343.1 342.9
200.0 11870 -56.1 -67.1 24 0.02 285 23 343.8 343.9 343.8
193.0 12097 -56.5 -67.5 24 0.02 285 25 346.6 346.8 346.6
190.1 12192 -55.8 -67.0 23 0.02 285 26 349.2 349.4 349.2
181.3 12497 -53.6 -65.5 22 0.03 275 16 357.7 357.8 357.7
181.0 12507 -53.5 -65.5 22 0.03 275 16 357.9 358.1 358.0
150.0 13710 -56.1 -68.1 21 0.03 260 32 373.2 373.4 373.2
149.9 13716 -56.1 -68.1 21 0.03 260 32 373.3 373.4 373.3
147.0 13838 -56.3 -68.3 21 0.03 260 31 375.0 375.2 375.0
139.0 14194 -55.3 -67.3 21 0.03 262 28 382.8 383.0 382.8
131.0 14570 -56.3 -68.3 21 0.03 263 25 387.6 387.8 387.6
124.0 14920 -54.1 -66.1 22 0.04 264 22 397.7 397.9 397.7
118.0 15240 -54.2 -66.2 21 0.04 265 19 403.1 403.4 403.2
116.0 15347 -54.3 -66.3 21 0.04 267 19 405.0 405.2 405.0
108.0 15802 -56.5 -68.5 21 0.03 273 20 409.2 409.4 409.2
100.0 16290 -56.3 -68.3 21 0.04 280 20 418.7 418.9 418.7
84.3 17374 -56.9 -68.8 21 0.04 270 29 438.5 438.7 438.5
82.9 17483 -56.9 -68.9 21 0.04 273 27 440.5 440.8 440.5
76.6 17987 -55.1 -67.1 21 0.06 285 18 454.3 454.7 454.3
76.6 17983 -55.1 -67.1 21 0.06 285 18 454.2 454.6 454.2
73.4 18259 -56.9 -68.9 21 0.05 258 13 456.1 456.4 456.1
73.1 18288 -56.9 -68.9 21 0.05 255 13 456.7 457.0 456.7
70.0 18560 -56.9 -68.9 21 0.05 255 15 462.3 462.6 462.3
61.6 19367 -57.7 -69.7 20 0.05 276 14 477.7 478.1 477.7
60.3 19507 -57.5 -69.5 20 0.05 280 14 481.3 481.7 481.3
54.7 20117 -56.4 -68.4 21 0.07 260 15 497.2 497.7 497.2
50.7 20602 -55.5 -67.5 21 0.09 328 12 510.2 510.8 510.2
50.0 20690 -55.9 -67.9 21 0.08 340 11 511.3 511.9 511.3
48.7 20857 -56.9 -68.9 21 0.07 326 9 512.8 513.3 512.8
45.2 21336 -54.7 -67.4 19 0.10 285 4 529.3 530.0 529.4
44.0 21504 -53.9 -66.9 19 0.11 293 4 535.2 536.0 535.2
38.6 22341 -55.1 -68.1 18 0.10 335 1 552.6 553.4 552.6
35.6 22860 -52.9 -65.9 19 0.15 0 0 571.3 572.5 571.4
35.4 22897 -52.7 -65.7 19 0.16 357 0 572.6 573.9 572.7
31.4 23667 -54.5 -67.5 19 0.14 283 4 587.8 588.9 587.8
30.0 23960 -52.7 -65.7 19 0.19 255 5 600.4 601.9 600.4
29.1 24157 -51.7 -65.7 17 0.19 292 10 608.4 610.0 608.4
28.1 24384 -52.1 -66.1 17 0.19 335 15 613.3 614.9 613.4
27.7 24476 -52.3 -66.3 17 0.18 316 13 615.3 616.9 615.4
25.6 24994 -50.2 -64.7 16 0.25 210 1 635.5 637.6 635.5
23.8 25464 -48.3 -63.3 16 0.32 220 4 654.2 657.1 654.4
21.2 26226 -47.3 -63.3 14 0.36 237 8 679.2 682.5 679.4
20.0 26610 -48.5 -64.5 14 0.33 245 10 687.0 690.0 687.1
19.9 26643 -48.7 -64.7 14 0.32 247 10 687.3 690.3 687.5
17.7 27432 -45.8 -62.8 13 0.47 305 19 720.4 724.9 720.6
17.6 27455 -45.7 -62.7 13 0.47 305 19 721.4 726.0 721.6
14.9 28562 -46.9 -63.9 13 0.48 319 20 752.5 757.4 752.8
14.3 28835 -44.7 -61.7 13 0.66 322 21 768.8 775.6 769.1
12.3 29870 -41.9 -59.8 13 0.99 335 22 813.2 823.8 813.7
12.0 30017 -41.5 -59.5 12 1.05 819.7 831.0 820.2
Station information and sounding indices
Station identifier: BUF
Station number: 72528
Observation time: 100519/1200
Station latitude: 42.93
Station longitude: -78.73
Station elevation: 215.0
Showalter index: 9.02
Lifted index: 9.99
LIFT computed using virtual temperature: 9.97
SWEAT index: 52.99
K index: 5.90
Cross totals index: 14.90
Vertical totals index: 22.90
Totals totals index: 37.80
Convective Available Potential Energy: 0.00
CAPE using virtual temperature: 0.00
Convective Inhibition: 0.00
CINS using virtual temperature: 0.00
Bulk Richardson Number: 0.00
Bulk Richardson Number using CAPV: 0.00
Temp [K] of the Lifted Condensation Level: 277.58
Pres [hPa] of the Lifted Condensation Level: 884.92
Mean mixed layer potential temperature: 287.47
Mean mixed layer mixing ratio: 6.00
1000 hPa to 500 hPa thickness: 5511.00
Precipitable water [mm] for entire sounding: 18.17