Weather Balloon Launched In Long Island Lands In Madison

MADISON, CT — One Madison resident on Friday called on the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company to help retrieve a weather balloon that landed unexpectedly on his or her roof, the fire department said in a Facebook post.

According to the post, the balloon was launched around 8 a.m. Friday from the National Weather Service's Upton New York Station in Long Island. According to data from Google Maps, the balloon traveled 33.04 miles laterally before touching down.

According to the Weather Service's website, the balloons carry a small instrument package called a radiosondes. These devices have been used since the late 1930s to measure pressure, temperature and humidity, and they play a large role in daily weather forecasts.

The Weather Service said a weather balloon's typical lifespan after a launch is two to three hours. The balloons are known to ascend about 115,000 feet vertically and can travel more than 180 miles laterally.

The balloons expand from around 5 feet in diameter to 25 feet during its ascent, according to the National Weather Service. When the balloon reaches its maximum diameter, it bursts and is guided to the ground by an orange parachute like the one pictured below.

The Weather Service asks anyone who finds a radiosonde to send it back. Luckily, some will be found complete with prepaid postage and a mailbag. Residents are asked to remove string, the used balloon and the orange parachute before putting the device into its mailbag. Then, residents must simply hand the sealed mailbag to a mail carrier.

Radiosondes that are damaged, or that do not come with a mailbag, should be disposed of in accordance with lithium battery best practices.