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

Press Release

“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. 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. 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. 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. 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."

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