diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex
index 47748470..70c4e3d6 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex
@@ -795,6 +795,54 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather do
     end
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Nearest sounding to (`lat`, `lon`) within `radius_km` km and a ±3-hour
+  window around `timestamp`. Joins `weather_stations` to `soundings` so
+  the caller gets the raw sounding row (station_id set, derived duct
+  fields populated) back.
+
+  Returns `{:ok, sounding}` or `{:error, :not_found}`. Use this in the
+  path calculator to surface the nearest RAOB's `ducting_detected` flag
+  as an independent check on HRRR's pressure-level duct signal, which
+  under-reads thin surface ducts.
+  """
+  @spec nearest_sounding_to(float(), float(), DateTime.t(), keyword()) ::
+          {:ok, Sounding.t()} | {:error, :not_found}
+  def nearest_sounding_to(lat, lon, timestamp, opts \\ []) do
+    radius_km = Keyword.get(opts, :radius_km, 300)
+    hours = Keyword.get(opts, :hours, 3)
+
+    # 1 deg lat ≈ 111 km; lon scaled by cos(lat).
+    dlat = radius_km / 111.0
+    dlon = radius_km / (111.0 * max(0.1, :math.cos(lat * :math.pi() / 180.0)))
+    time_start = DateTime.add(timestamp, -hours * 3600, :second)
+    time_end = DateTime.add(timestamp, hours * 3600, :second)
+
+    from(s in Sounding,
+      join: station in assoc(s, :station),
+      where:
+        station.lat >= ^(lat - dlat) and station.lat <= ^(lat + dlat) and
+          station.lon >= ^(lon - dlon) and station.lon <= ^(lon + dlon) and
+          s.observed_at >= ^time_start and s.observed_at <= ^time_end,
+      order_by:
+        fragment(
+          "SQRT(POW(? - ?, 2) + POW(? - ?, 2)) + ABS(EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM ? - ?)) / 86400.0",
+          station.lat,
+          ^lat,
+          station.lon,
+          ^lon,
+          s.observed_at,
+          ^timestamp
+        ),
+      limit: 1
+    )
+    |> Repo.one()
+    |> case do
+      nil -> {:error, :not_found}
+      sounding -> {:ok, sounding}
+    end
+  end
+
   @spec find_nearest_hrrr(float(), float(), DateTime.t()) :: HrrrProfile.t() | nil
   def find_nearest_hrrr(lat, lon, timestamp) do
     dlat = 0.07
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop/weather_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop/weather_test.exs
index b2e90d65..ff287d72 100644
--- a/test/microwaveprop/weather_test.exs
+++ b/test/microwaveprop/weather_test.exs
@@ -265,6 +265,49 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.WeatherTest do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "nearest_sounding_to/3" do
+    @profile [
+      %{"pres" => 1013.0, "hght" => 171, "tmpc" => 25.0, "dwpc" => 15.0},
+      %{"pres" => 925.0, "hght" => 800, "tmpc" => 20.0, "dwpc" => 12.0}
+    ]
+
+    setup do
+      {:ok, station} = Weather.find_or_create_station(@sounding_station_attrs)
+
+      {:ok, sounding} =
+        Weather.upsert_sounding(station, %{
+          observed_at: ~U[2026-03-28 12:00:00Z],
+          profile: @profile,
+          level_count: 2,
+          ducting_detected: true,
+          min_refractivity_gradient: -250.0
+        })
+
+      %{station: station, sounding: sounding}
+    end
+
+    test "returns the closest sounding within spatial + temporal window", %{sounding: sounding} do
+      # Roughly 30 km north of Fort Worth sounding station, 1h after the obs.
+      assert {:ok, found} =
+               Weather.nearest_sounding_to(33.10, -97.30, ~U[2026-03-28 13:00:00Z])
+
+      assert found.id == sounding.id
+      assert found.ducting_detected == true
+    end
+
+    test "returns {:error, :not_found} when no sounding is in range" do
+      # Far outside the default 300 km / ±3h window.
+      assert {:error, :not_found} =
+               Weather.nearest_sounding_to(45.0, -80.0, ~U[2026-03-28 12:00:00Z])
+    end
+
+    test "returns {:error, :not_found} when the sounding is outside the time window" do
+      # Same location as the sounding, 8 hours later — outside ±3h.
+      assert {:error, :not_found} =
+               Weather.nearest_sounding_to(32.83, -97.30, ~U[2026-03-28 20:00:00Z])
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "existing_solar_dates/0" do
     test "returns set of dates already in the database" do
       Weather.upsert_solar_index(%{date: ~D[2024-06-15], sfi: 150.2})