Posts

Regarding the National Weather Service's Issues.....

Image
Please take a careful look at this posting: The story Ryan linked to is here . My point is the Houston staffing issues began and accelerated during the Biden Administration and those had nothing to do with President Trump.  As stated many times, the NWS has many deep issues. DOGE's hatchet (when a scalpel was needed) has worsened them. The nation desperately  needs a National Disaster Review Board modeled after the hugely successful National Transportation Safety Board to study disasters and provide impartial information to Congress, future Administrations, and the American people. 

Important Note About Online Hurricane Forecasts

Image
You may have seen this image floating around social media about a “May hurricane” that just isn’t going to occur.  The model image posted on social media is from the American GFS model, well known to be merely the 4th best in the world.  The GFS "overforecasts" hurricanes to a huge extent. I sometimes comment that it forecasts "11 of every 2 hurricanes." This image depicts a Cat 3 hurricane near Florida, a near impossibility in the month of May.    Here's the thing:  No other model is forecasting a hurricane, let alone a major hurricane, or anything like it.  That is a sure sign the GFS model has created yet another of its fictional storms.    The world's #1 model, the ECMWF (depicted below), shows very pleasant weather over Florida region at that same time as the GFS is forecasting its "fictioncane." I won't go into the problems with the National Weather Service's modeling as we have talked about that on other occasions.   To rest...

Today's Tornado Risk - Update 5:15pm Tuesday

Image
The tornado threat has been extended into Mississippi. -- original forecast below -- Here is the tornado forecast for the rest of today and into tonight. Yellow, hatched is where there is an enhanced  risk of strong tornadoes. Brown has a significant risk of tornadoes. Please keep up on the weather in these areas.  I will provide occasional updates on Twitter/X @usweatherexpert. 

Appearance With Andrew Revkin Is Now Online

Image
Journalist Andrew Revkin conducted an outstanding panel on the issues surrounding the National Weather Service, NOAA and the Trump Administration today.  The discussion is now posted online. Andy's panel was excellent I believe you will find the viewpoints diverse and 100% constructive. You can view the webcast here . I will be appearing at Noon Eastern (11am Central) Monday with Andy Revkin, Alan Gerard, and Andrew Freedman on the crisis in the National Weather Service and NOAA.  You can listen, live, here . If you can't listen live, you can use the same link the listen to the recording. It is a great panel with a variety of perspectives. 

Sunday Fun: Global Warming, Is There Anything It Can't Do?!

Image

Just a Reminder....

... this blog is © 2025 Mike Smith Enterprises, LLC

Breaking News: NWS Goodland Office Is (Temporarily) Not Staffed 24/7

Image
NWS Office in Goodland, Kansas Since the National Weather Service's Reorganization in the early 1992, their field office meteorologists have often worked beyond the call of duty during hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms and other long-duration extreme weather events. During Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, meteorologists (and some of their families) "moved into" the New Orleans office and worked extraordinary hours performing their mission for more than a week. But, the mess in NOAA/NWS -- where the Senate won't seem to take up the nomination of Dr. Neil Jacobs as head of NOAA -- has resulted in an exodus of meteorologists on April 30, when "retirements" and buyouts became effective, has left some offices desperately short-handed. As a result, for the time-being, the NWS office in Goodland, Kansas (GLD) is not staffed 24/7!  There may be other offices that are now not 24/7, as well.  I have confirmed from two sources GLD is not staffed from 2am until 7am ...