Sponsors (3)
The bill invests federal funds to produce regionally tailored subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasts that can materially improve water and agricultural decisions and build research capacity, but it imposes ongoing federal costs, may leave some areas without benefits, could strain NOAA resources, and faces a short five-year authorization that risks disrupting long-term continuity.
Water managers, farmers, and rural communities in the western U.S. will get improved subseasonal-to-seasonal precipitation and soil-moisture forecasts tailored to mountainous terrain, helping reservoir operations, drought planning, planting, and irrigation decisions.
NOAA-university partnerships will receive funding and coordination, strengthening atmospheric and climate research capacity and workforce training for students and researchers.
The bill establishes measurable operational forecast improvement goals and coordination with the National Weather Service, increasing the likelihood that research will be translated into usable operational forecasts for state governments and the public.
Taxpayers will fund an estimated $45 million per year (FY2025–2029) for the pilots, increasing federal spending.
The program's five-year sunset could limit long-term continuity of successful forecasting improvements, risking disruption to sustained operational adoption and planning.
Operational benefits may be uneven—regions, crops, or communities not covered by the pilots could be left without direct improvements, worsening geographic inequities in forecasting support.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs NOAA to run two S2S forecasting pilots—one for western water management and one for agriculture—and authorizes $45M/year for FY2025–FY2029.
Creates two NOAA pilot programs to improve subseasonal-to-seasonal weather forecasts for water and agriculture: one focused on water management in the western U.S. and one on agriculture nationwide. Each pilot must tackle specific scientific challenges, work with universities and NOAA centers, show measurable operational forecast improvements, follow prior forecasting recommendations, and will operate for up to five years with authorized funding.
Introduced January 29, 2025 by Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen · Last progress January 29, 2025