WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation to improve weather forecasting to help Nevada farmers and ranchers better predict extreme weather. The Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act would create subseasonal to seasonal forecasting pilot projects under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve weather prediction ranging from two weeks to three months and 3 months to 2 years into the future. This would help farmers and ranchers to be more prepared for potential weather anomalies, such as flash floods or extreme drought. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) also helped introduce this legislation.
“As extreme weather events become more common and less predictable, it’s important that we invest in the resources to improve forecasting and help communities to better prepare,” said Senator Rosen. “I introduced this bill to do just that, and ensure Nevada’s farmers and ranchers have access to forecasts to better prepare for weather anomalies.”
Senator Rosen has been a leader in the fight to ensure Nevada has access to federal resources to address drought and unpredictable weather conditions. Last Congress, she introduced legislation to direct the NOAA to establish a new program to improve wildfire forecasting and detection. She also helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is making a historic amount of funding available for water infrastructure improvements across the country over five years, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which delivered $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River.
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