TOPICS: Chuck Schumer, Weather monitoring, New York, Mesonet, Tornadoes, Federal funding, Emergency managers, Forecasters

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The recent severe storms in New York, including the devastating tornadoes that struck Rome and Canastota, highlight the challenges faced by meteorologists in predicting the movement of such storms.

Following a record-breaking 20 tornadoes in New York in July alone, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is advocating for $30 million in federal funding for the nation’s network of weather monitoring systems, known as mesonets.

The New York State Mesonet network consists of 127 stations, strategically spaced an average of 19 miles apart, with at least one station in each of New York’s 62 counties. This network provides real-time data to operational forecasters and emergency managers statewide, updating every five minutes.

Data from the network, as reported by the University at Albany, plays a crucial role in informing forecasters and emergency managers to mitigate the impacts of severe weather events by issuing timely emergency alerts and warnings.

Sen. Schumer emphasized the importance of enhancing weather tracking technologies to prepare for increasing extreme weather events, such as the recent tornado outbreak in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and the North Country.

Without necessary upgrades or timely investments in New York’s weather monitoring system, local forecasting capabilities could be compromised, resulting in deferred maintenance and reduced federal support for operations. This could affect storm predictions and public safety.

Schumer’s initiative to secure $30 million for the national mesonet system through the National Mesonet Program, a collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, aims to leverage public-private partnerships to maximize the benefits of available weather data.

Highlighting New York’s robust mesonet program with stations across all counties, Schumer stressed the need to increase funding to enhance the nation’s weather monitoring services to ensure preparedness for unpredictable weather events.