Can't believe this must be stated, but the following statements can both be true:
1. NWS provided timely and actionable forecasts and warnings ahead of the flooding disaster in Texas.
2. NWS' ability to work with EMs and other agencies is -vely impacted by cuts and vacancies.
I wonder: Does this person understand that the "hobbyist in their basement" uses NWS radar, NWS satellites, NWS computer models, & data from the NWS network of surface-observation stations?
If there’s one thing you should take away tonight.
Proper warnings and lead time was delayed in Southern Kentucky for a significant tornado because NWS Jackson-KY can’t operate 24/7 after staffing shortage/cuts.
Impacted offices include:
- NWS Cheyenne
- NWS Goodland
- NWS Marquette
- NWS Jackson KY
- NWS Sacramento
- NWS Hanford
- NWS Fairbanks
- NWS Pendleton
Incredibly grim timeline.
288 people rendered to El Salvador’s mega-prison. We only know 257 of their names—and not because government is sharing them.
It shouldn't be up to civil society to compile things like this table. Of course, none of this should be happening at all.
See https://t.co/nktnlYQV3W
#UWMadison’s Curling Club clinched the @usacurl College National Championship for the second year in a row — congrats, Badger curlers! #OnWisconsin 🥌
https://t.co/nydGFP7N54
The defund the National Weather Service replies to this tweet are wrong but not surprising at all. People who are fed bullshit misinformation are the same people who say "the government never gets the weather right.”
People don’t realize just how much they rely on the National Weather Service every single day. That weather app on your phone? The forecast on your local news? The severe weather alerts that pop up when a tornado or flash flood is on the way? Almost all of that information comes from the NWS. It’s not just some government agency sitting around making random predictions. It’s a highly specialized, science-driven organization that provides the data that private weather companies, airlines, emergency management agencies, and even your favorite weather app depend on.
The NWS operates a network of radar sites, weather balloons, satellites, and ground stations that monitor the atmosphere 24/7. Without it, private companies wouldn’t have the raw data they need to generate forecasts. You think Apple Weather, The Weather Channel, or AccuWeather are doing their own surface and upper-air observations? No, they��re using NWS data. Even if you don’t follow the NWS directly, you are benefiting from its work every single day. And when disaster strikes? The NWS is the first to issue life-saving warnings.
Defunding or even reducing funding to the National Weather Service wouldn’t just be an inconvenience. It would be deadly. It would mean slower warnings, outdated technology, fewer weather stations, and a greater reliance on private companies that may not prioritize public safety over profit. It would mean losing the ability to track hurricanes, tornadoes, and winter storms with the level of accuracy and urgency we have today. So the next time you see someone say “Defund the NWS,” remind them that they’d still be checking their phone for a forecast that wouldn’t exist without it. Weather science isn’t perfect, but without the National Weather Service, we’d be flying blind into storms—literally and figuratively. Support science. Support public safety. Stop letting the richest man in the world control our government. And support the people who work tirelessly to keep us informed and prepared.
Private Sector Meteorology uses NOAA/NWS
Accuweather graphics and forecasts use NOAA/NWS
The Weather Channel uses NOAA/NWS
Broadcast Mets use NWS/SPC
Where did the idea that the private sector can just woop de doo create everything come forth?
The U.S. #NationalWeatherService, housed within #NOAA, is a truly world-class meteorological predictive service, perhaps singularly so. It costs only ~$3/yr per taxpayer, & yields ~10:1 return on investment--saving economy 10s-100s of billions, not to mention thousands of lives.
For just $3 of your tax dollars a year, the @NWS (part of #NOAA) save countless lives and billions in damage with their forecasts! Best bang for your buck in government spending if you ask me!
People don’t realize that NOAA does far more than forecast weather. It has by far the most comprehensive weather dataset and collection in the world that’s utilized by NWS + ALL private sector companies. Any impacts on the downstream will be highly detrimental and may cost lives.
Did you know that NWS La Crosse is also home to the Council of Rodent Prognosticators? None of our furry friends saw their shadows this morning, suggesting an early spring. While we take their input with a grain of salt, we admit we're especially fond of Phil #4.🍕#groundhogday