AFTER RECORD SETTING 20+ TORNADOES IN UPSTATE NY, SCHUMER LAUNCHES $30 MILLION PUSH TO INCREASE FED $$$ FOR UALBANY’S MESONET, HUB FOR ALL NY STATE’S WEATHER TRACKING, AND TO UPDATE NATION’S WEATHER SYSTEM FOR TRACKING MAJOR STORMS TO KEEP UPSTATE NY PREPARED & SAFE

Despite Increasing Severity Of Storms, Anti-Government Extremists Like Project 2025 Are Proposing Major Cuts For NOAA & National Weather Service; Senator Says Recent Storms Show Now Is More Important Than Ever To INCREASE $$$ For Forecasting And Hubs Like UAlbany’s NYS Mesonet, Which Covers Storm Tracking For Every County In NY

Standing At New York State’s Weather Hub in Albany, Schumer Pushes For $30M Fed Investment To Boost Nation’s Network Of Monitoring Systems—Known As Mesonets—Which Plays Critical Role In Storm Data Gathering For Emergency Response & Safety

Schumer: Recent Storms and Tornadoes Show Now Is Time To Further Invest In – Not Divest From – A Stronger Weather-Tracking System For NY And America

After a record-setting 20+ tornadoes in Upstate NY this month, with 10 occurring in just one day, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood at the University at Albany’s New York State Mesonet Operations Center and launched his push for $30 million in federal funding – a $10 million increase from last year – for advanced regional weather early warning systems program known as ‘mesonets,’ with Albany being the central hub for all NYS. Schumer said recent severe storms show how in the midst of global weather changes, storms can often move, meander, and mystify meteorologists, and that a state-of-the-art ability to track, monitor and inform a forecast matters more than ever to keep Upstate NY safe and prepared for extreme storms.

“This past month we saw a record-setting 20+ tornadoes in Upstate NY and what we’re seeing more and more across the country is increasing extreme weather that we need to be prepared for,” said Senator Schumer. “Thanks to the University at Albany, New York has an excellent network of weather observation stations scattered across the state, at least one in every county, a part of a national system critical for weather forecasting and emergency response with hyper-local data. While some in Washington want to cut these critical federal services, I am here today to launch my push to increase funding to upgrade our nation’s weather monitoring services. We need to make sure the National Mesonet Program hubs like UAlbany’s and Upstate NY have what it needs to produce the sharpest forecasts possible so we are prepared for whatever punches Mother Nature delivers.”

“The New York State Mesonet at the University at Albany has provided invaluable data to emergency managers across the state and to our colleagues at the National Weather Service. Its success would not be possible without funding from the National Mesonet Program and the strong support of Sen. Schumer. We applaud his call to expand this critical federal program and make Americans safer through the power of advanced early warning when severe weather strikes,” said Havidán Rodríguez, president of the University at Albany.

“With severe weather increasing in frequency and intensity, real-time Mesonet weather data will be critical for emergency management and public safety across the U.S.," said Chris Thorncroft, executive director of the New York State Mesonet at UAlbany. "We are thankful to Senator Schumer for recognizing the importance of these powerful weather monitoring tools, especially as we work to better harness the potential of AI to put this data to work to protect lives and property. The senator's tireless work to secure more federal investment ensures our Mesonet networks are fully operational and ready to support the nation’s weather response."

Schumer said that in last year’s budget he was able to secure millions for the Mesonet system and that it will be put to work right now, but he said that more is needed to keep pace with the extraordinary weather changes afoot. Schumer said this is especially timely amid new recent proposals to cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) & the National Weather Service (NWS), which predicts and tracks extreme weather such as storms and hurricanes.

Schumer added, “Recent storms in Upstate NY show, now is more important than ever to boost funding for the National Weather Service and programs like UAlbany’s Mesonet network. Especially as climate change creates the conditions for more extreme weather, our nation’s weather observation system needs more—not less—support to ensure that it’s not just running, but state-of the art.”

Schumer explained the University at Albany hosts NYS’s Mesonet weather data program and that it unlocks key data from the clouds using advanced instruments at 127 sites around New York and laser technology to monitor the atmosphere. Schumer said this past month of record-breaking storms and the height of hurricane season soon to be upon us show that we need sharper forecasts to better understand storms. He said that the technology exists to achieve these goals. Schumer warned that without upgrades or with delayed investment in NY’s system, local forecasting ability could be hampered by deferred systems maintenance and decreased federal operations support, which could impact both storm prediction and public safety.

“NY’s Mesonet program benefits from the federal funding that the National Mesonet Program receives. I fought for millions of dollars in federal funding to support this system last year and will keep pushing for more so that New York and the whole country are prepared for the problems that extreme weather presents,” added Schumer.

According to the University at Albany, data from the NYS Mesonet informs forecasters and emergency managers (including those at the NYS DHSES) to help mitigate the harmful effects from high-impact, extreme weather-related disasters. The NYS Mesonet provides real-time data to operational forecasters and emergency managers from across the state with updates every five minutes and an average station spacing of about 19 miles. These data are combined with data from other surface networks, weather radars, and satellites to provide real-time weather information and to improve numerical weather prediction models for even greater accuracy and precision than ever before, giving emergency managers and forecasters much greater confidence in their warning products and in subsequent protective action.

The Mesonet network is comprised of 127 stations, spaced an average of 19 miles apart, with at least one station located in each of New York’s 62 counties. All data is transmitted in real-time to the University at Albany, where it is quality controlled and archived, and then disseminated to a variety of users, including local meteorologists. A majority of stations are run off of solar power and communicate via cellular signals. Of the state’s 127 stations, 17 include advanced laser technology known as LiDAR, and sustained federal investment will help expand this even further. Locally, the Mesonet network sites include: Voorheesville, Medusa, Schaghticoke, Schodack, Schuylerville, and Kinderhook.

Schumer’s $30 million push for the national Mesonet system via the National Mesonet Program (NMP) is a public-private partnership in concert with NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) to cost-effectively leverage available commercial and other non-Federal weather data to maximize the public benefit. Schumer said the national system needs this funding to be maintained and expanded to provide similar upgrades like New York’s, which is why he is pushing for a $10 million increase in funding for the national program compared to last year’s federal budget. With 127 existing stations in New York, much of this funding will flow to the state to maintain its Mesonet, one of the best in the country.

Experts say that the value of the Mesonet is that it improves the situational awareness of emergency managers and first responders on the ground immediately before, during and after a weather emergency by helping answer key questions like, what just happened, what is happening right now, what is likely about to happen next? Experts say that these are potentially life-and-death questions when flooding rains are falling. The Mesonet provides critical amounts of new data that answers those questions in real time in a way that was not possible before it was built – specifically during past storms Irene, Lee and Sandy. Combined with further investments in supercomputing, weather monitoring aircraft, and radar, the Mesonet data is another critical tool in the country’s pocket for addressing worsening storms.

Finally, Schumer also said he is pushing for increased funding for NOAA’s large weather satellites program which operates the nation’s satellites that collect data used by the National Weather Service and more, and he is pushing for an over $100 million increase to boost this program in the final appropriations bill. These satellites provide real-time tracking and monitoring of storms and hurricanes, helping to compliment the Mesonet. Schumer also shared his support for NOAA’s Regional Ocean Observing System, which covers the Great Lakes. Schumer is pushing to strategically grow the system based on the highest priority needs of the region to support disaster response, weather forecasting and hurricane prediction, and more, which in conjunction with Mesonet services, will help improve severe weather forecasting in Upstate New York and beyond.

“Without federal investment, New York’s weather forecasting ability could become partly cloudy – but we need to it be as clear as possible so that we can keep the country prepared and safe. I’m pushing to increase federal funding so that we can ensure New York’s mesonets and our nation’s weather satellites stay on the cutting edge of technology,” Schumer added.

In response to the storms this past month in Upstate NY, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have already called on FEMA to stand ready to quickly approve a major disaster declaration, which must first be requested New York State following damage assessment, to provide aid to impacted communities. This past week, the governor requested a federal Emergency Declaration, which would authorize FEMA to provide reimbursement for debris removal operations and emergency protective measures. Schumer has called on the President to swiftly approve this request, and Mesonet data may be critical to helping New York make the case for federal aid.

Schumer has been a longtime supporter of the National Mesonet Program, and specifically of the NYS Mesonet. Last year, Schumer delivered $1.35 million in federal funding to UAlbany to expand the Empire State VERTEX (Vertical Sensing Evaluation Regional Testbed Experiment) project, which is leveraging data from two state-of-the-art remote sensing instruments at 17 advanced Mesonet sites across the state to better understand the lower parts of the atmosphere. These state-of-the-art tools help scientists and forecasters understand instability within the atmosphere every five minutes, and with the help of $900,000 Schumer secured in 2022, UAlbany has become a testbed for exploring how to best use this technology to improve weather forecasting, better track wild-fire smoke and help renewable energy forecasting.

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