Congress Pushes NOAA to Expand Local Weather and Soil Data to Improve Flood and Farm Forecasts

NOAA’s ocean-and-atmosphere leadership continues operating the National Mesonet Program with added requirements (more local data, more soil moisture and road-weather observations, more partnerships).

Forecasts and warnings can gradually get more local and more accurate as new data sources are connected and used in models.

Grant opportunities open for state, Tribal, private, and university groups to build/upgrade mesonet equipment (at least 15% of yearly program funds may be used this way).

Local networks may be able to add stations in under-monitored areas, but they must agree to share data and maintain quality for at least 5 years with some non-federal funding.

Priority support goes to at least one remote or under-monitored area each year (when assistance is awarded).

Rural and remote communities could be first in line to get new or repaired monitoring stations that improve local warnings.

An active expert advisory committee is put in place (or an existing NOAA committee is officially used) to recommend what data to add and how to improve the program.

Decisions about which sensors and networks to use are more likely to follow consistent standards and real-world needs (like flood warning gaps or farm-area drought monitoring).