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For-Profit Companies Can’t Easily Replace NOAA’s Weather-Forecasting Prowess
Replicating the abilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fleet of weather satellites would take time and a lot of money—and expose private companies to a large amount of risk.
NOAA forecasters use computer models that simulate physics and the behavior of the atmosphere, along with their own experience and local knowledge, to start to paint a picture of the weather—what’s coming in a few minutes or hours or days. Neil Jacobs, nominated to oversee NOAA, explains why the agency is essential for accurate national weather forecasting and why private companies might not want to take on the legal risk on their own. A lot of businesses rely on accuracy from NOAA’s weather data and forecasts: aviation, energy companies, insurance, even modern tractors’ precision farming equipment.
Or read this on Wired
