Weather balloons grounded for now at Tucson National Weather Service

The National Weather Service office in Tucson has paused its twice-daily weather balloon launches since late January because of changes to its helium supply system.

The balloons carry instruments high into the atmosphere, where they collect information about moisture and other conditions. That data can help forecasters assess whether storms are more likely to bring flash flooding or strong winds, including during monsoon season.

The office previously received helium in large tanks weighing about 130 to 140 pounds. Because those tanks were difficult to handle safely, the supplier moved to smaller containers. Tucson’s weather office has been building new storage and updating the plumbing needed to deliver helium to the rooftop launch site.

Forecasters are using other information in the meantime, including weather balloon data from Phoenix and computer models. The Tucson office says the new helium setup should be ready soon, allowing balloon launches to resume twice a day.