June 27th, 2026 Update: KEEP FIGHTING

Update as of June 27th, 2026: The NWS and NOAA are still struggling. From Matthew Cappucci: "The United States is "supposed" to launch balloons at 0Z and 12Z ideally – a.k.a. around 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time. That's not happening. Many sites, due to staffing issues stemming from broader political and organizational issues, have pushed to 18Z, or early afternoon. That's not helpful for morning severe weather forecasts. In other words, you get less lead time. Less advanced notice. Quicker ramp-ups and ramp-downs to the forecast. We're not able to get jet stream, temperature, moisture or wind profiles of the atmosphere each morning like we otherwise would. Moreover, the World Meteorological Organization encourages 12Z soundings; that data is shared via the Global Observing System (GOS) under the World Weather Watch (WWW). That's not happening."