Can a private company create predictions on its own without noaa data?
It would be difficult for one business to provide comprehensive weather data in a reliable way that is also accessible to the entire public.
Some businesses may introduce their own satellite, but one satellite just gives you a part of the picture. Noaa’s weather observational network has long been existing and collecting data from points across the US and the oceans. Without those robust data, computer models and the broad network of predictors and developers, prediction also becomes less reliable.
The analysis of the data is also complex. You will not be able to take satellite data, perform a model to a standard laptop and suddenly have a prediction.
And there is a question of whether a private company wants to take the legal risk to be responsible for the predictions of the country and serious weather warnings.
Neil Jacobs, nominated to oversee Noaa, explains why the agency is essential for accurate national weather forecast and why private companies may not want to adopt the legal risk on their own.
Noaa is a taxpayer fund, so it is a public benefit-the services provide safety and security for everyone, not just those who can pay for it.
If weather data were only available at a price, one town might be able to afford the necessary weather information to protect its residents, while a smaller city or a rural area across the state would not. If you are in a tornado-plaque area or coastal area, the information may be the difference between life or death.
Is climate data and research on the changing climate important for predictions?
The earth’s systems – its land, water and the atmosphere – change, and we must be able to determine how the changes will affect tomorrow, in two weeks and far in the future.
Rising world temperatures affect weather patterns. Dryness can attract wildfires. Forecasts should take into account the changing climate to be accurate, no matter who creates the prediction.