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Category Archives: History
What are the impacts of the recent cuts to NOAA and NWS?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service (NWS), is a vital partner in the nation’s weather enterprise. They provide essential products and services that benefit the U.S. economy and the health and safety of us all. Citizens and businesses rely on accurate and timely forecasts. Due to the inexplicable decisions of the current administration, many NOAA and NWS employees have been terminated without cause.
These recent terminations will have far-reaching consequences for public safety and the nation’s economic well-being. NOAA professionals on ‘probationary status’ are not just new employees; some have recently been awarded with career advancements resulting from their outstanding work that helps safeguard our communities by helping to keep all of us informed, prepared, and safe. Continue reading
Category: History, Uncategorized
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What does the National Weather Service do?
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a subdivision of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is an agency within the United States Department of Commerce. It is the nation’s official source of weather information. The NWS’s primary responsibility is providing weather forecasts, warnings, and other weather-related services to the public. The NWS plays a crucial role in safeguarding lives and property as the office collaborates with emergency management agencies, the media, and private industries to ensure that the public receives good weather information in a timely manner. The NWS disseminates weather warnings and advisories through a wide variety of communication channels, such as radio, television, websites, and mobile apps. Continue reading
Why does the United States have a National Weather Service?
While successfully prosecuting the Civil War against the Confederacy, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant* had learned that weather information – even if NOT in the form of a forecast – was extremely valuable for operations. Coincidentally, in the years following the … Continue reading
Category: History, Meteorology
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Is it getting windier in Wisconsin?
Wind speed and direction are variables that change over space and time, and conditions can change considerably from month to month, as well as from year to year. Scientifically assessing any long-term changes in weather elements requires a long-term data set of accurate measurements. Temperature data goes back hundreds of years, and even thousands of years, using ancillary data such as from tree rings.
Wind is a more difficult parameter to study and analyze. The observations of wind speed and direction need to be made at the same height above the surface. The type of surface also impacts the measurement, as the wind sensor should not be too close to trees or buildings. Finally, large annual fluctuations make long-term trends difficult to detect. Continue reading
Beyond the headlines, what else has been happening in the weather lately?
There has certainly been a lot of interesting and, in many cases, devastating weather around the country in the past couple of weeks. The heavy snow in parts of the country that don’t often see it along with the California wildfires have caught the attention of lots of us in the first days of the new year.
But in the background is a rather remarkable one-week stretch that occurred in the last week of December. Continue reading
