(WTXL) — The airborne Chinese balloon high in the atmosphere over the continental United States that's grabbing a lot of late-week attention.
After originally being spotted in the country's Pacific Northwest, and seen on camera imagery over the Rockies, curiosity has been sparked about where the craft -- described by the Pentagon as a "surveillance balloon" -- will float over the next few days.
We often refer to the jet stream, a belt of fast winds aloft that guides moisture sources and storm systems across the hemisphere. Low- and high-pressure systems create kinks in the flow, causing the varying southeast or northeast movement of cold fronts and disturbances.
The balloon, shown to be traveling at altitudes above 35,000 feet, has been moving east and southeast through the Midwest Friday. It is following the path of the upper-level steering winds that flow in a general west-to-east orientation.
Forecast data of the upper-level wind pattern suggest the balloon continuing to move along the upper wind flow to the east-southeast. A possible track includes the Tennessee Valley region, northern and middle Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Like with storm systems, finding a precise spot thousands of feet in the sky will be a challenge from the ground-level vantage point with the naked eye. Its movement is being monitored by the U.S. government.
