Plain English Meaning

A small box of weather sensors hung beneath a balloon that flies up through the atmosphere and radios temperature, moisture, and pressure readings back to the ground.

Full Definition

A small, expendable instrument package carried aloft by a weather balloon that measures temperature, humidity, and pressure as it rises through the atmosphere, and transmits those readings by radio to a ground receiving station. Wind speed and direction at altitude are derived by tracking the balloon's position during the ascent.

Context Anchor

Pilots encounter radiosonde indirectly in weather products, especially and about upper- temperature, moisture, and .