West Tennessee forecasters are getting more tools back online after earlier cutbacks and new upgrades that could sharpen severe-weather warnings across the Mid-South.
National Weather Service offices had scaled back weather balloon launches because of budget restraints starting in early 2025. Upper-air data that helps track storm environments briefly went missing after those cuts.
A tornado later struck Madison County. It was rated only an EF-0, but meteorologists noted the missing balloon data would have aided the forecast.
As of Nov. 1, all 92 upper-air sites nationwide have returned to a twice-daily launch schedule that matches World Meteorological Organization guidelines, according to NWS public affairs director John Ewald.
Separately, officials announced late in October that a new Doppler radar may be built in Southeast Missouri, close enough to improve coverage for storms heading toward West Tennessee.
The lowest radar beam over that gap sits roughly 13,000 feet up today, which can miss important pieces of severe storms. A new site would help close that hole and give a clearer look as systems move toward the Mississippi River.
On Tuesday, NOAA also launched the Rapid-Refresh Forecast System, described as the first high-resolution regional model designed for the unified forecast system.
The new model is meant to simplify forecasting by consolidating several older systems into a more manageable set of guidance products.
Local meteorologists said the combination of restored balloon launches, a possible radar fill-in and fresher model data should help when the next round of Mid-South severe weather arrives.
Sources: WBBJ; National Weather Service; NOAA