Weather balloon lands on powerlines in Champaign County

SADORUS, Ill. (WCIA) — After a night of severe weather in Champaign County, there was something resting on powerlines just east of Sadorus — and this time, it wasn’t a tree branch.

Chief Robert Russian of the Sadorus Fire Department confirmed that a weather balloon landed on powerlines on 600 North Road.

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The balloon and the measuring device carried by the balloon — called a radiosonde — were both found wrapped around the wires. The balloon later fell off, but the radiosonde was still connected to the powerlines and dangled towards the ground.

Russian said there were no reported power outages and the road remained open while he stayed on-scene. He wanted to ensure no one came into contact with the radiosonde and risked getting hurt.

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Ameren was called in for removal.

The scene is now clear, Russian said.

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The weather balloon traveled 141 miles and floated more than 60,000 feet into the atmosphere before bursting and falling onto the powerlines.

The incident comes just a few months after another Champaign County weather balloon discovery, where a National Weather Service balloon was found in a tree near Parkland College in Champaign.

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