The FORECAST Act of 2025 directs the Under Secretary at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) weather forecasting for temperature, precipitation, and related Earth system variables. It amends existing law to require research on forecast sources and limits, collection and use of Earth system observations, and development of multi-model ensemble forecasts, advanced data assimilation, data management, and verification. The bill calls for faster transfer of research models into operations, use of emerging technologies (including artificial intelligence and unmanned systems), and an Internet clearinghouse to share national and regional S2S forecasts and related information about links to hazards (for example, tornadoes, droughts, hurricanes, fires, floods, heat waves, sea ice, snowpack, and permafrost thaw).
The bill also authorizes funding for NOAA modeling activities and adds a new Weather and Earth System Modeling and Data Assimilation Workforce Innovation Program. That workforce program supports education, scholarships, fellowships, recruitment, and human capital planning for data assimilation and Earth system modeling. It requires annual workforce plans, updates to hiring authorities, the ability to make awards and agreements with institutions of higher education and nonprofits, and a report to congressional committees on program effectiveness.
The bill, as written, aims to strengthen NOAA's research and operational capacity for subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasting, accelerate turning research into operational models, expand use of advanced technologies (like AI and unmanned systems), create a public clearinghouse for forecasts, and grow the skilled workforce needed for modern Earth system modeling and data assimilation.
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