The National Weather Service is suspending use of a key tool used in creating forecasts.

It’s eliminating or cutting down weather balloon launches in different parts of the country.

“It’s actually the second most important weather data that gets fed into weather models behind aircraft data,” Praedictix Senior Meteorologist Todd Nelson said.  “The National Weather Service twice a day will send up these balloons, and it basically takes a profile of the atmosphere.”

“Goes through the atmosphere and collects a bunch of data like temperature, wind speed, pressure, the moisture, and that gets fed back into computer models to help us make a forecast,” KSTP Meteorologist Matt Serwe said.

The flight suspensions are happening in places like Omaha, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota.

“Basically, we’re losing a ton of data right where storms form, that bring us blizzards, that bring us severe weather,” Serwe said.

Serwe says accuracy could suffer as a result.

“This is the type of data we need to make the best forecast possible,” Serwe said.

The National Weather Service cites a lack of staffing for this move and added they will perform special observations as needed.

“Hopefully, the National Weather Service will staff up on those big days,” Nelson said.

Earlier this year, hundreds of forecasters with the National Weather Service were fired as part of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency. It’s unclear if this is related, and the National Weather Service didn’t respond to an inquiry from 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. 

“Hopefully, we don’t have any more staffing shortages at the National Weather Service,” Nelson said. “Across the country, weather models might not get it right all the time.”