National Mesonet Authorization Act

National Mesonet Authorization Act

This bill provides statutory authority for the National Mesonet Program of the National Weather Service (NWS).

The program shall obtain observations from observing platforms in all geographic environments to improve understanding of and forecast capabilities for atmospheric events, with a prioritization on leveraging available commercial, academic, and other nonfederal weather data to enhance coordination across the private, public, and academic sectors of the U.S. weather enterprise.

The program must carry out specified activities, including improving environmental observations used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the NWS to support baseline forecasts and warnings that protect the nation's citizens, businesses, military, and government agencies and enable such individuals and entities to operate in safe, efficient, and orderly manners.

NOAA shall ensure the program has an active advisory committee of subject matter experts to identify, implement, procure, and track data needed to supplement the program, and recommend improvements, expansions, and acquisitions of available data.

The advisory committee shall establish partnerships with one or more institutions of higher education to identify, evaluate, and recommend potential partnerships, regional or subregional consortia, and collaborative methods that would expand the number of participants and volume of data in the program.

The National Mesonet Authorization Act, also known as Bill 118 hr 2995, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The purpose of this bill is to authorize the establishment and operation of a national mesoscale weather observation network, known as the National Mesonet.

The National Mesonet would consist of a network of weather stations strategically placed across the country to provide real-time, high-resolution weather data. This data would be used by meteorologists, emergency responders, and other stakeholders to improve weather forecasting, monitor severe weather events, and enhance overall weather-related decision-making.

The bill outlines the responsibilities of the National Mesonet program, including the collection, dissemination, and analysis of weather data, as well as the coordination with existing weather observation networks. It also establishes a funding mechanism for the program, including both federal appropriations and partnerships with state and local governments, academic institutions, and private sector entities. Overall, the National Mesonet Authorization Act aims to improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather forecasting in the United States by establishing a comprehensive and integrated weather observation network. This legislation has the potential to benefit a wide range of stakeholders, from farmers and outdoor enthusiasts to emergency responders and transportation agencies.