Executive Summary
Windsond, a compact radiosonde system, is central to the NOAA- and NSF-supported TORUS campaign (Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells). By launching small, instrumented balloons from mobile platforms alongside UAV deployments and radar assets, researchers captured in situ atmospheric data inside supercell thunderstorms across the Great Plains. Every 30–60 seconds, teams launch up to eight sondes to profile wind speed, temperature, humidity, and pressure within storm inflow and outflow regions. This high-resolution dataset fills critical gaps in supercell and tornado genesis modeling, revealing small-scale dynamics that standard weather stations miss. TORUS combines swarm radiosondes, drones, mobile mesonets, radars, and the NOAA P-3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft to deliver a multidimensional view of severe storms. Windsond’s rapid-deployment sondes streamline field operations, enabling continuous observation at unprecedented temporal and spatial scales.
Key Learnings
- Windsond radiosondes are compact weather balloons with in situ sensors launched every 30–60 seconds for rapid atmospheric profiling.
- TORUS integrates radar, drones, mesonet trucks, radiosonde swarms, and aircraft for multidimensional supercell observations.
- Deployment covers 367,000 sq miles from North Dakota to Texas during May–June field seasons.
- Small sondes (up to eight aloft simultaneously) reduce logistical constraints compared to traditional large weather balloons.
- High-frequency data on wind, temperature, humidity, and pressure uncovers hidden storm structures relevant to tornado formation.
- Funded by NOAA and NSF with a USD 2.4 million budget, led by University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and uniting 50+ researchers from six institutions.
Introduction to TORUS Supercell Research
Severe supercell thunderstorms produce the strongest and deadliest tornadoes, yet interior storm dynamics remain poorly understood. The TORUS project (Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells) addresses this by deploying a suite of research platforms—radars, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), mobile mesonet trucks, radiosonde swarms, and the NOAA P-3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft—to gather synchronized, high-resolution data inside and around supercells.
What Is Windsond?
Windsond is a miniaturized radiosonde system designed for rapid launch from vehicles and field units. Each sonde is a small weather balloon equipped with sensors to measure:
- Wind speed and direction via GPS drift and onboard anemometry
- Temperature and relative humidity using fast-response probes
- Atmospheric pressure with a compact barometric sensor
Traditional weather balloons, which require large inflation tents, are impractical for storm-chasing teams. Windsond sondes solve this by fitting into standard vehicle cabins and launching on demand, supporting continuous data collection for comprehensive storm profiling.
Field Deployment and Data Collection
During the TORUS campaigns in May and June 2019 (and again in 2022), research teams launched sondes from National Weather Service and Cooperative Institute–backed mesonet trucks along storm intercept routes. Key aspects include:
- Launch cadence: 30–60 seconds per sonde, maintaining up to eight simultaneous flights
- Coverage area: 367,000 sq miles across the central Great Plains, from North Dakota to Texas, Iowa, Wyoming, and Colorado
- Integrated platforms:
- Ka- and X-band mobile radars for Doppler wind profiling
- UAS vehicles for low-level storm penetration
- NOAA P-3 aircraft for high-altitude context
- Data fusion for 3D reconstruction of storm structures
Scientific Impact and Key Outcomes
The high-temporal-resolution data from Windsond sondes unveiled small-scale airstream interactions within supercells, including inflow updrafts and rear-flank downdrafts. These observations:
- Validated conceptual models of tornado formation and supercell evolution
- Provided benchmarks for numerical weather-prediction improvements
- Demonstrated that swarm radiosonde observations can replace supplementary ground instruments, reducing deployment complexity
Funding, Partnerships, and Collaborations
TORUS is a joint effort led by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with over 50 researchers from:
- NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)
- University of Oklahoma Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS)
- Texas Tech University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
It was funded by the National Science Foundation and NOAA with a USD 2.4 million budget, covering two main field seasons in 2019 and 2022, plus a left-flank intensive experiment in 2023.
Sources:
[1] National Severe Storms Laboratory. “TORUS: Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of Supercells.” NSSL Projects, NOAA. NSSL Projects:TORUS: Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of Supercells
[2] “TORUS Project.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TORUS_Project
[3] NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory. “TORUS: Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells.” UCAR Data Archive. NSF NCAR EOL data archive -- TORUS: Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells
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