Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025

Senate Bill

S. 324

119th Congress

Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 29, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Jacky Rosen

Senator

Democratic

NV

Cosponsors

2

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Summary

This bill directs NOAA to establish pilot projects improving subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasting. One project focuses on water management in the western U.S., including mountain weather and atmospheric river prediction. The other improves agricultural forecasting nationwide for warm-season precipitation.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill directs NOAA to establish pilot projects improving subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasting. One project focuses on water management in the western U.S., including mountain weather and atmospheric river prediction. The other improves agricultural forecasting nationwide for warm-season precipitation.

Last updated: 1/5/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish pilot projects to support improved subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasting for water management in the western United States and for agriculture nationwide. (Under current law, subseasonal means the time range between two weeks and three months, and seasonal means the time range between three months and two years.)Specifically, NOAA must establish a pilot project to address challenges to improving forecasting and related product development for water management in the western United States. The project must address, among other items, improvements to operational modeling in mountainous regions and to the forecasting of atmospheric rivers. NOAA must also establish a second pilot project to address challenges to improving forecasting and related product development for U.S. agriculture. The project must address, among other items, improvements to operational modeling of warm-season precipitation and to the prediction of certain spring and summer weather patterns.  Each pilot project must include activities that engage with and leverage the resources of academic institutions and entities within NOAA, and that achieve measurable objectives for operational forecast improvement. NOAA’s authority with respect to these pilot projects expires five years after the bill’s enactment.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Establishes NOAA pilot projects for improved precipitation forecasting
Focuses on water management needs in western United States
Improves atmospheric river and mountain weather predictions
Addresses agricultural forecasting for warm-season precipitation
Engages academic institutions with five-year program authority

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Western water managers would get better two-week to two-year precipitation forecasts for planning. Farmers nationwide would benefit from improved predictions of growing season weather, helping with planting and irrigation decisions.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

324, 119th Congress (2025). "Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-324