NOAA ANNOUNCES IMPROVED WEATHER FORECASTS ON THE HORIZON

[Roland99]

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2491.htm

Aug. 24, 2005 — Scientists at the NOAA National Weather Service announced today a significant improvement in the weather and climate models that produce forecasts out to 15 days, which began this summer. More detailed atmospheric information is being produced at the NOAA Environmental Modeling Center, allowing public and private meteorologists to forecast with increasing accuracy. (Click image for larger view of NASA's Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder, or AIRS, Daily air temperature (F) 700 mb (millibar) for Aug. 23, 2005. Pressures of 700 mb correspond to 8,000 feet (2,000 m) above the surface. Image courtesy of NASA.)

The announcement follows major upgrades to the NOAA Global Forecast System, which is the primary model used to forecast weather patterns around the globe. The GFS is used in a variety of NOAA National Weather Service forecasts, including hurricanes, heavy precipitation, drought, snowstorms, icing and aviation. Now, the GFS incorporates improved physics of the atmosphere, a clearer representation of the Earth's terrain, enhanced satellite data from NASA's Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder, as well as other technical changes.

"Our nation will have longer-ranging alerts and forecasts through these improvements to the current system thanks to its more specific and higher resolution output," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "These significant developments will have a huge impact on the economy and citizens’ quality of life locally and nationally."

The GFS produces forecasts of wind, temperature, humidity and air pressure for the atmosphere up to 35 miles above the Earth for one to 15 days. NOAA is currently working on additional ways to extract and use even more of NASA's AIRS data in NOAA's operational weather and climate forecast models.

Well, as long as we keep Santorum's filthy paws off of NOAA/NWS.

[phantom power]

1. Such a successful government program must enrage tools like Santorum

[unhappycamper]

2. That why he introduced The National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005.

The National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005, S. 786, has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Link:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:1:./temp/~c1090jKwBs::

Section (b) is the kicker:
(b) COMPETITION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR- The Secretary of Commerce shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a product or service (other than a product or service described in subsection (a)(1)) that is or could be provided by the private sector. . .

Accuweather is based in PA, and he wants a no compete clause. . .

[phantom power]

3. I love the "or could" clause.

Aside from the fact that the entire premise is idiotic, he's basically saying that even if "service-X" is provided by the govt, and is not provided by the private sector, we still have to kill off the government service-X, because Whoa Nelly! the private sector could provide it!

Hell, the private sector could provide any service, in theory.

Of course, that's exactly the "principle" behind modern repubicanism. What was I thinking?