Balloon’s Popped at National Weather Service News | March 22, 2025 | 0 | by Morgan McCarthy Weather balloon launches are being cut in half by the National Weather Service. Weather balloons are resource that tell forecasters about atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind speeds and other critical information. A NWS official said the temporary setbacks are part of the hundreds of employees that were laid off by DOGE last month. Some say that the lack of accurate data can negatively impact timely weather forecasting and possibly the ability to warn the public of dangerous weather conditions. Officials said it’ll impact six cities and will work with special observations on an as needed basis.