§8515 Weather Research and Development Planning

Summary

Not later than 1 year after April 18, 2017, and at least once each year after that, the Under Secretary, working through the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and coordinating with the Director of the National Weather Service and the Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, must publish a plan for research and for moving research into operations to bring back and keep U.S. leadership in computer-based weather prediction and forecasting. The plan must explain NOAA’s forecasting and technology goals and progress; list and prioritize research tasks and performance measures that focus on the National Weather Service’s weather and flood operations to make the Nation weather-ready; describe how the program will work with stakeholders like the U.S. weather industry and universities; and, after consulting the National Science Foundation, the weather industry, and academic partners, identify research to add social science into forecasts and warnings so threat information is communicated better to help people and communities plan and decide.