FORECAST Act Proposes $28.5M Annual Injection for AI-Powered Weather Prediction, Kicking Off in 2026

The FORECAST Act of 2025 is on the table, and it’s looking to give our weather and climate prediction systems a serious upgrade. Essentially, this bill wants to make forecasts more reliable and our understanding of the whole "Earth system"—that's the atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice all working together—a lot sharper. It's proposing to arm the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with new research mandates, a push towards using cutting-edge tech like Artificial Intelligence (AI), and a cool $28.5 million per year for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to get the ball rolling.

Smarter Skies: Beyond Just Tomorrow's Rain Chance

This isn't just about knowing whether to pack an umbrella. The FORECAST Act aims to significantly boost NOAA's ability to understand "seasonal predictability." Think longer-range forecasts that could tell a farmer in Iowa about potential drought conditions months in advance, or help a coastal city in Florida better prepare for an active hurricane season. The bill specifically directs NOAA, by amending Section 1762 of the Food Security Act of 1985, to ramp up research, improve how it collects and uses observational data (basically, all the info gathered from satellites, weather balloons, and ground stations), and really lean into "emerging technologies like AI" to make forecasts better and faster. This work is meant to line up with a big-picture strategy called the "Subseasonal and Seasonal Forecasting Innovation: Plans for the Twenty-First Century" report. Part of the authorized funding, including additional sums for activities under section 102(b)(5) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)(5)), is earmarked for the modeling whizzes at the Earth Prediction Innovation Center or universities, focusing on beefing up high-performance computing and scientific breakthroughs.

Wanted: Climate Innovators to Decode Our Dynamic Planet

You can't have better forecasts without brilliant people, right? That's where the second major piece of the FORECAST Act comes in, by amending Title IV of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. It proposes establishing a brand-new "Weather and Earth System Modeling and Data Assimilation Workforce Innovation Program." Fancy name, simple goal: get more skilled folks into the field. The bill wants the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to support education and recruitment through things like scholarships and research funding for students and professionals diving into weather and Earth system tech. It also mandates a "human capital plan," which is basically a strategy updated annually to figure out what skills are needed, where the funding gaps are for training, and how to smooth out hiring processes at NOAA. This means if you're a student eyeing a career in climate science or a tech pro looking to apply your skills to environmental challenges, this could open up new doors. The bill also allows NOAA to team up with universities or nonprofits to bring innovative technologies into the mix.

The Fine Print: Funding, Accountability, and Building on What Works

So, where's the money coming from and how do we know it's working? The bill authorizes that $28.5 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 specifically for the research improvements mentioned in Section 2 of the Act. There's also authorization for "such sums as may be necessary" for the new workforce program and for the modeling team support. To keep things on track, NOAA will need to report back to Congress on how effectively these funds are being used, particularly those given to universities and other entities. The legislation also looks to update NOAA's direct hiring authority, potentially making it easier to bring in top talent quickly. It’s important to see this isn't starting from scratch; it amends existing laws like the Food Security Act of 1985 and the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, aiming to build on and enhance current efforts to understand and predict our complex world.