Alabama School of Math and Science launches weather balloons into Hurricane Milton

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Students at the Alabama School of Math and Science gathered Wednesday afternoon for a special presentation: the launch of weather balloons into Hurricane Milton.

ASMS partnered with WindBorne Systems for the release. To make it more meaningful, the launch was facilitated by ASMS alumnus Gene Bradley, the head of global operations at WindBorne. Bradley graduated from ASMS in 2007.

“I still see that they’re thriving and still open to doing projects like this on a whim,” Bradley said. “I gave them about 48 hours’ notice that I was going to be here, and they were more than happy to have us come do this.”

These balloons are smarter than your average weather balloon. Using artificial intelligence, they capture the necessary data to create more accurate forecasts that keep people safe during severe weather.

“Currently, the path of Milton is showing that it’s supposed to impact Tampa. We made a prediction about six or seven days ago and it followed almost the exact pathway there,” Bradley said.

After waiting for the Gulf Coast winds to calm, students observed the balloons get launched and steered toward Milton from the school’s west campus.

“It’s really exciting. I’m really glad that ASMS is able to give us such opportunities to be able to watch things like this,” ASMS senior Shayla Holloway said. “I definitely want to see that information more publicized so people can become more educated on the storm so they can protect themselves better in the future.”

Bradley says they plan to launch seven balloons in total. The balloons will take a day or two to reach the storm.

ORIGINAL STORY

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The Alabama School of Math and Science and WindBorne Systems partnered to launch weather balloons from the school’s midtown Mobile campus Wednesday morning.

ASMS alumnus Gene Bradley, the head of global operations at WindBorne, joined students in autonomously navigating balloons from the school’s west campus in Midtown Mobile into Hurricane Milton.

An ASMS news release said the collaboration provides “students with an unparalleled opportunity to gain practical experience in meteorological science but also inspire the next generation of weather experts, fostering a brighter future for meteorological science.”

WindBorne works to understand the planet and better predict and manage extreme weather and climate change. It uses weather balloons, which can go on month-long flights, and artificial intelligence modeling to create more accurate AI-based forecasts.

The launch was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

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