Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act

This bill directs the federal ocean and weather agency to run a project to make coastal marine fog forecasts better, with the goal of keeping vessels safer and reducing costly delays and accidents. It pushes for more on-the-water data and clearer, more useful fog warnings for the public.

To do this, the project would add more observations (like buoys, weather stations, instruments on platforms and vessels, unmanned systems, and new satellite images) and use better computer models and smarter algorithms to spot fog early and track it over time. It also aims to improve how NOAA communicates fog advisories so people can make informed choices.

• Who is affected: People on or near the coast who rely on safe marine travel; the public receiving fog advisories; and Indian tribes and other public and private groups who will be consulted during planning.
• What changes: More sensors and data on the water; stronger fog models; clearer, more actionable fog advisories; and tools that help people use this information to decide what to do.
• When: Within one year of becoming law, the agency must publish a plan that lays out the research, technology work, resources, and timelines to carry this out.