Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference 

October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota

Improving Low-Altitude Weather Forecasting Using Data Assimilation of Meteodrone Observations to Support Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Operations

As thousands of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) begin operating within the National Airspace System, they will support a wide range of missions—including defense, emergency management, delivery, and passenger transport. However, challenging weather conditions at low altitudes can compromise mission success or make safe recovery impossible when safety thresholds are approached. Current operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) models have inherent biases mainly due to the lack of domain-specific low-altitude weather data where UAS operations take place. These uncertainties also propagate through downstream decision-support tools used by UAS operators and airspace managers in mission planning and en-route planning. To address this critical data gap, this study utilizes the Meteodrone, an advanced UAS developed by Meteomatics and operated at GrandSKY, North Dakota—the first UAS-focused business park in the United States. The Meteodrone is capable of collecting high-resolution, low-altitude atmospheric data that are otherwise unavailable in these environments. This work focuses on using data assimilation techniques to integrate Meteodrone observations into a high-resolution NWP model, with the goal of improving short-term forecasts relevant to UAS operations over GrandSKY. The project aims to demonstrate the operational value of assimilating UAS-collected data to develop a high-fidelity forecasting capability for fine-scale weather hazards in complex airspace environments. Forecast accuracy is evaluated through comparison with independent ground-based and airborne observations. The spatiotemporal impact of Meteodrone data is quantitatively assessed to inform optimal deployment strategies in an effort to enhance safe and efficient operation of the UAS.