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A bill to improve the lead time, accuracy, and dissemination of forecasts of atmospheric rivers throughout the United States, and for other purposes.
1/31/2025, 5:51 PM
Summary of Bill S 322
The main goals of this bill are to improve the lead time, accuracy, and dissemination of forecasts related to atmospheric rivers. By doing so, it is hoped that communities at risk of flooding from these weather events can better prepare and mitigate potential damage.
The bill includes provisions for the development and implementation of new technologies and tools to enhance the forecasting of atmospheric rivers. It also calls for increased collaboration between federal agencies, research institutions, and other stakeholders to improve the accuracy of these forecasts. Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of public education and outreach efforts to ensure that communities are aware of the risks associated with atmospheric rivers and know how to respond in the event of a forecasted event. Overall, the Atmospheric River Forecast Improvement Act seeks to better protect communities from the impacts of these weather events by improving the forecasting capabilities and communication of information related to atmospheric rivers throughout the United States.
Congressional Summary of S 322
Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act
This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish an atmospheric river forecast improvement program.
In carrying out the program, NOAA must seek to reduce loss of life and property and other economic losses caused by atmospheric river events through research and development on accurate, effective, and actionable forecasting and warnings. The program must generally involve the establishment of quantitative atmospheric river forecast skill metrics, the development of an atmospheric river forecast system within a unified forecast system, and the development of tools and products to predict periods of active or inactive atmospheric river landfalls and inland penetration, among other activities.
The program must periodically test and evaluate the value of incorporating innovative observations (e.g., observations from radar, aircraft, ocean buoys, and other sources) to facilitate the improvement of modeling and forecasting. The program must also consider the development of best practices for communicating the existence and severity of atmospheric river events, as well as other information about atmospheric rivers. The program may seek to improve precipitation modeling, with an emphasis on forecasting for complex terrain.
The bill also requires NOAA to acquire and sustain adequate crewed and uncrewed aircraft (i.e., drones), equipment, and personnel necessary to meet air reconnaissance mission requirements annually during the expected atmospheric river season (November through March).
