Modernization of the Weather Value Chain

A number of studies and reports have documented the economic value of weather information and forecasting to society. This value is of course complementary to the critical protection of life and property. A number of key components compose the weather value chain, ranging from observations to processing to decision support. Over time, each of these components has evolved along with advances in science and technology. In recent years, the pace of those advancements has accelerated, which opens up both new challenges and new opportunities for the weather enterprise. This presentation will explore the weather value chain. We begin with a breakdown of the components themselves, including their respective key contributions to the whole. We then describe how those components have been modernized to date, with specific examples of each, including the benefits of those modernization activities to society. Finally, we explore where the various components of the weather value chain are headed in the future, which includes some fundamental paradigm shifts that will enable society to realize even greater benefits from this critical enterprise.