Helping the Nation Become More Weather Ready: A New Strategy for the National Weather Service

In light of the rapid changes in technology and Americans’ increasing dependence on timely, reliable, and accurate weather, water, and climate information for everyday activities, the National Weather Service (NWS) updated its strategic plan this past year. The new strategy reflects feedback from our partners and the growing need to more fully engage the entire Weather, Water and Climate Enterprise [Enterprise] in designing a plan to address the growing need to reduce the impacts of extreme events. As damages continued to trend upward (2017 set a new record for the U.S. with $306 billion in weather, water, and climate damages), emergency managers, first responders, and government officials are increasingly relying on weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings to aid in their decision-making. The NWS is looking to expand on a growing network of partnerships to achieve our mission of protecting life and property while enhancing the national economy.

The speed at which technology advances is accelerating, leading to a more connected world with greater public expectations for “real-time” information. Mobile sources for receiving information are growing fastest, and people expect tailored weather information to be readily available with precision at the local level. Machine learning and big data are tools available to assist forecasters in communication of uncertainty. The internet of things, robotics, and miniaturization are driving advances in observations. The U.S. weather industry is estimated today at well over $7 billion in market value[1]. These forces and factors set the stage for the new NWS Strategic Plan.

The new NWS Strategic Plan responds to these emerging challenges by drawing on new legislative authority established by the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. Language in the Act added requirements for the evolution of the NWS, with emphasis in four areas: U.S. Weather Research and Forecasting Improvement, Sub-seasonal and Seasonal Forecasting Innovation, Weather Satellite and Data Innovation, Federal Weather Coordination and Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research. The plan also draws from previous reports by the National Academy of Public Administration and National Academies of Science, along with the recently released Department of Commerce Strategic Plan, which includes a key objective to “reduce extreme weather impacts.”

Adapting to the ever-increasing pace of change will require the National Weather Service to effectively evolve towards a customer-centric service delivery model with corresponding changes to operations, business processes, and the skills and capabilities of our workforce to ensure sustained cost savings and efficiency. We can’t do it alone. We must strengthen partnerships with the Enterprise to leverage the full range of available tools, expanding our collective reach while improving our level of performance. This evolution will require support for our workforce, including training and development in science-based service delivery, increased diversity to drive higher performance, and enhanced support to sustain a healthy organizational culture.

[1] National Weather Service. (2017). National Weather Service Enterprise Analysis Report