Weather Service Launches Balloon at Middle School

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A group of middle school students got a first-hand look at how meteorologists gather information.

A weather balloon launched at Hermantown Middle School Wednesday morning. 

The National Weather Service launches two balloons a day, to collect data on different layers of the atmospheres.

The teachers say it helps students understand that the weather is more than just how hot and cold it is on the ground.

“It’s dew point, it’s wind speed, there’s a lot more that goes into predicting the weather than just somebody telling you ‘It’s going to be 72 tomorrow,’” explained science teacher Madeline Schmaltz.

Students were able to track the motion of the balloon live on the internet.