NOAA Turns to ‘Meteodrones’ to Close Weather Data Gap

Swiss weather intelligence firm Meteomatics and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are teaming up to improve weather forecasts with the use of small “Meteodrones.” According to Meteomatics, this partnership will enable the first operational uses of routine drone-based weather observations at the National Weather Service.

Meteodrones are designed to gather atmospheric data between 50 and 20,000 feet above ground level, where the U.S. weather-observation network has a significant gap in coverage. Below that altitude, ground-based weather stations provide more than adequate coverage, while higher altitudes are monitored using satellites and weather balloons. According to Meteomatics, the under-measured layer of the atmosphere in between is “where some of the most impactful weather develops.” Closing that data gap could reduce weather-related flight disruptions and cancellations, the company claims.

“By filling these data gaps with frequent measurements, forecasters gain clearer signals, such as where thunderstorms will form, when fog will lift, whether a winter storm will bring rain, snow, or ice, how smoke and poor air quality will spread, and when dangerous low‑level winds will develop,” according to a Meteomatics statement. “Better observations lead to more confident forecasts, which translate into more timely warnings and fewer disruptions for aviation, highways, utilities, agriculture, and emergency management.”

Under the new collaboration, Meteomatics is contributing vertical weather profiles collected by its autonomous Meteodrones to NOAA’s National Mesonet Program, which aggregates data from local, state, and regional weather-observation networks to improve short-term forecasting and severe weather prediction capabilities. Working with KBR, the National Mesonet Program’s prime contractor, and Synoptic Data PBC, its lead subcontractor, Meteomatics’ drone-derived observations will feed into U.S. weather forecasts and daily National Weather Service operations.

“Public-private partnerships like the National Mesonet Program are essential to expand national weather observing capabilities, especially as weather events become more severe,” said Meteomatics CEO Martin Fengler. “Our Meteodrones were designed for exactly this purpose, strengthening forecasts with previously inaccessible data to prepare and protect nations.”

For the National Mesonet Program pilot project, from February through April, Meteomatics will operate a single Meteodrone from a “Meteobase” ground station in Oklahoma under visual-line-of-sight rules, Lukas Hammerschmidt, Meteomatics’ chief drone officer, told AIN. He added that the company aims to expand operations to include routine beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights. “We plan to have [an FAA waiver for BVLOS operations] in 2026 as part of the NOAA Mesonet Program, with more planned in the future,” Hammerschmidt said. “We will have a visual observer for all flights until the BVLOS waiver is approved.”

Founded in 2012, Meteomatics already operates a handful of Meteodrone fleets around the world. “Several are in operation globally every day,” Hammerschmidt said. “In the U.S., we have a Meteodrone operational in North Dakota at Grand Forks Airbase. In Switzerland, we have 10, and in Norway, we have 30 assigned in total. Currently, there are 10 ready to be shipped, with additional drones in the process of completion and delivery. There are three Meteobases operational in Norway.”

The battery-powered Meteodrones, which weigh about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and typically fly for around 22 minutes at a time, are equipped with sensors that collect data on temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind. They also come with a parachute recovery system and an optional de-icing function. The company also provides weather-forecasting solutions for various customers in the aviation industry, including Airbus, Skydweller, Lockheed Martin, and NASA.