Schweizer Sturmforum

After stumbling blocks and delays, sweeping bipartisan legislation to improve weather forecasting has passed the Senate.

Containing scores of provisions, the bill would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to, for example:

- Establish a program to improve tornado warnings.
- Protect the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program, whose funding was previously slashed.
- Develop a formal plan for weather research.
- Develop an annual report on the state of its weather models.
- Develop forecasts on the subseasonal (two weeks to three months), seasonal (three months to one year) and interannual (up to two years) time scales.
- Consider options to buy commercially provided weather satellite data rather than launch expensive government satellites.
- Improve its watch-and-warning system based on recommendations from social and behavioral scientists.