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Weather Monitoring Device Manufacturer Vaisala Expands Headquarters

LOUISVILLE, Colo. (CBS4) - A Colorado company that makes weather monitoring devices for major storms is expanding its headquarters in Louisville.

Vaisala (2)
(credit: CBS)

Crews broke ground on Thursday on Vaisala's new building in the Colorado Tech Center on the southeast end of the Boulder County town.

Vaisala is the largest provider of Dropsondes. They're used by hurricane hunters to collect crucial hurricane data and are purchased by agencies like NOAA. The devices send several updates back to observers every second.

HURRICANE DROPSONDES_frame_493
(credit: CBS)

Prior to Dropsondes, tropical cyclone data was mainly tracked by buoys in the ocean and satellite imaging.

Vaisala also creates weather monitoring devices for other types of storms. Their products include devices which monitor lightning strikes and some which work with aviation among snowstorms.

Vaisala (1)
(credit: CBS)

The company has also built equipment for Mars rover missions.

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