Critical Weather Forecasting Bill Moves One Step Closer

A major weather bill that would elevate critical weather forecasting within the nation's oceans, climate, and weather agency got one step closer to reality on Thursday as the House Science Committee approved it.

The bill, known as the “Weather Forecasting Improvement Act,” now heads to the full House for consideration.  If it passes, and there are no guarantees given the small window left in the legislative calendar, it would be the first broadly focused weather bill to be enacted by Congress since the mid-1990s.

The bill would establish a research program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to extend the lead time for tornado warnings beyond 1 hour, and contains provisions aimed at closing the performance gaps between the agency’s weather forecasting computer models and those of other nations.

Critical Weather Forecasting Bill Moves One Step Closer