Executive Summary
During the spring 2016 VORTEX-SE campaign, Mississippi State University (MSU) deployed Windsond radiosondes to investigate how landscape features influence severe storm environments in the southeastern United States. Led by Professor Mike Brown, the team conducted high-frequency boundary-layer soundings on either side of terrain transitions to capture mesoscale circulations and their impact on storm dynamics. Windsond’s compact design, multi-sonde tracking, and long-range USB receiver proved ideal for near-storm launches every 15 minutes. Despite challenges like rain damage and stable-layer trapping, the system delivered valuable data for model validation and assimilation into WRF simulations. Brown praised Windsond’s ease of use and responsive support—highlighting its accessibility even for middle school students. With plans to continue in future VORTEX-SE phases, Windsond remains a trusted tool for mobile atmospheric research.
Key Learnings
- Windsond enabled frequent, mobile soundings near storm boundaries.
- MSU used dual-site deployments to study terrain-induced mesoscale circulations.
- Windsond tracked up to 8 sondes simultaneously with an 85 km range.
- Compact design and small balloons reduced logistical and helium costs.
- Data supported WRF model validation and assimilation.
- Windsond’s usability extended to educational outreach with young students.
- Future campaigns will continue leveraging Windsond’s capabilities.
Project Overview: VORTEX-SE and MSU’s Role
The VORTEX-SE (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment – Southeast) initiative explores how southeastern U.S. landscapes influence tornado formation and storm behavior. MSU’s contribution focused on gathering high-resolution sounding data across terrain boundaries to:
- Quantify boundary strength and diurnal boundary-layer responses
- Identify mesoscale circulations and their impact on storm ingredients
- Compare observed profiles with WRF model simulations
- Assimilate data into models to improve forecast skill
By launching sondes on both sides of pronounced landscape transitions, MSU captured subtle but critical variations in storm environments.
Why Windsond Was Chosen
Professor Brown outlined several reasons for selecting Windsond:
- Portability: The small form factor made rapid deployment easy.
- Multi-sonde tracking: Up to 8 sondes could be monitored simultaneously.
- Long-range receiver: The USB receiver offered nearly 85 km of coverage.
- Cost efficiency: Smaller balloons reduced helium consumption.
- Rapid launch cycles: Soundings were conducted every 15 minutes in active storm zones.
These features made Windsond uniquely suited for mobile, high-frequency operations in dynamic weather conditions.
Field Challenges and Adaptations
While the campaign was largely successful, a few challenges emerged:
- Rain damage: Some sondes were lost to heavy precipitation.
- Stable-layer trapping: A few sondes stalled mid-flight, requiring larger balloons for added lift.
- Data formatting: Output required scripting to match the team’s preferred format; Windsond later added support for Sharppy-compatible files.
Despite these hurdles, the system’s flexibility and developer responsiveness helped the team adapt quickly.
User Experience and Educational Impact
Brown described his experience with Windsond as “very positive,” citing:
- Quick support from developers
- Reliable hardware performance
- Intuitive operation
In a separate outreach project, MSU trained middle school students (ages 12–14) to launch sondes, collect data, and contribute to National Weather Service analyses—demonstrating Windsond’s accessibility and educational value.
Looking Ahead: Future Campaigns
MSU plans to continue using Windsond in future VORTEX-SE phases, pending funding approval. The system’s proven reliability, ease of use, and adaptability make it a cornerstone of their mobile sounding strategy.
Sources:
VORTEX-SE user interview | Windsond
Mike Brown | Department of Geosciences
VORTEX-SE_2016 MSU Mobile Radiosonde Data Set
Anders Petersson
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Anders is the CEO and CTO, coordinating the company's general direction and engineering. He often discusses user requirements and how to accomplish them.