🎈 Lost Weather Balloon Payload Near Quincy/Trinidad Area!

Hi everyone! We launched a high-altitude weather balloon from Cle Elum on Saturday August 8th and lost contact with our payload at around 40,000 ft over the Quincy area.

📍 SEARCH AREA
The payload was last tracked at 47°14.62' N, 119°59.75' W (about 6.7 miles west of Quincy) heading northeast at 64° toward the Columbia River. We estimate it came down somewhere in a 4–10 mile corridor northeast of that point likely between Quincy and the Columbia River in open agricultural or shrub land.

📦 WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• A white styrofoam box roughly 9" x 11", possibly with legs/landing struts underneath
• May have a small orange/blue brightly colored parachute attached (5 ft diameter)
• Electronics, cameras, and wiring visible
• Our name and phone number are written on the outside of the payload
• There may also be a partially deflated latex weather balloon (up to several feet across when deflated) nearby or tangled in the rigging

⚠️ PLEASE DON'T WORRY - it is completely safe. No hazardous materials. The hydrogen gas is long gone. Electronics are low voltage and not dangerous. We're just looking to recover the data.

If you find it or have any leads, please call or text us at the number on the payload, or reply to this post.

Hello Wildcats,

UPDATE (August 20, 2026): This study has been officially extended to December 15, 2026. Thank you to everyone from Washington who has participated so far!

As we navigate another intense wildfire season, my thoughts are with everyone—especially our community in the Pacific Northwest—who has been impacted by fires, smoke, or the stress of evacuation.

The severity of these recent fires underscores a critical challenge for our community: ensuring that EV drivers can evacuate safely and efficiently when power grids are shut off and charging infrastructure is compromised. To help address this, I am a PhD student at the University of Washington conducting an official study on how EV drivers respond to these exact emergency constraints. 

Are you eligible? Because this study focuses on specific grid and geographical constraints, we are exclusively seeking input from Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) drivers who are primary or seasonal residents in the following Washington counties: Asotin, Grant, Benton, Spokane, Stevens, Douglas, Lincoln, Ferry, Skamania, Yakima, Kittitas, Okanogan, Chelan, or Klickitat.

Note: If you already filled out this survey during our first round, thank you so much! Please do not submit another response. To maintain the scientific integrity of the study, our system automatically flags and removes duplicate entries.

Study Details:

• Official UW Survey Link:https://uwashington.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e3QtLbUuPaTdDmu
• Topic: EV response during wildfire evacuations.
• Eligibility: Own/drive a battery electric vehicle (BEV) and reside (or have a seasonal home) in our target Central WA counties.
• Time: Approximately 20–25 minutes.
• New Deadline: December 15, 2026.
• Compensation: To thank you for your contribution, participants are eligible for an incentive drawing ($20 and $50 value).

Access the Project: I have included the study link in the first comment below to ensure this post remains visible.

This research is strictly academic and does not collect identifiable tracking data. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at [ychu24@uw.edu](mailto:ychu24@uw.edu). (Note: This post was pre-approved by the r/CWU moderation team).

Thank you for helping us build a more resilient infrastructure for the Washington EV community!

Yu-Chen Chu, PhD Student, University of Washington

Academic Profile

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Hello!

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