NOAA stands for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. This federal agency is responsible for the majority of your weather forecasts and forewarning about weather events.
The NOAA and the NWS are interrelated government agencies that help keep countless American citizens safe and protected from weather-related circumstances.
If you’ve been wondering how your local weather station comes by its accurate forecasts, the NOAA is probably the answer for which you’ve been looking. Here is some more information about NOAA weather and how it can benefit your life.
Origins of the NOAA
The Department of Commerce founded the NOAA in October of 1970 to better protect U.S. citizens from weather-related hazards and to more accurately understand our natural environment.
The United States had other predecessors before the NOAA, such as the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (1807), the Weather Bureau of the United States (1870), the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (1871), and the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps (1917). These forerunners didn't last the test of time, but all of them have certainly helped shape the mission and duties of the NOAA weather prediction services we have today.
What are the Main Duties of the NOAA?
The NOAA concentrates their monitoring and research efforts on significant waterways, weather patterns, and the atmosphere as a whole, to track and predict weather events that may prove hazardous.
The agency also guides the federal conversation on the use and protection of coastal resources. Often making suggestions for how we can improve our coastlines and acting as a vocal steward of the country's significant waterways.
Finally, and perhaps most famously, the agency's NOAA weather predictions are crucial to America's weather forecast business. NOAA weather predictions are given to the NWS—which is short for National Weather Service—so that they can make informed predictions and then distribute those predictions to weather radio services.
The NOAA & The National Weather Service (NWS)
The NOAA and the National Weather Service are interrelated agencies that help keep people safe by studying weather patterns, waterways, and coastlines. The NWS is the largest subagency in the NOAA and focuses specifically on weather-related events.
The NWS issues watches, warnings, and forecasts. The NWS is probably more aptly defined as a "service", rather than an administration—like the NOAA. Its aim is the protection and preservation of the public from weather-related catastrophes like tornados or hurricanes.
Although it is the largest sub-agency of the NOAA, the NWS doesn’t just concentrate on oceanic weather patterns but also keeps track of terrestrial weather events like tornadoes, blizzards, and earthquakes. In fact, the NWS provides nearly all the data for weather forecasts that every news outlet uses for their weather forecasts.
How To Stay Connected to NOAA Weather Alerts
If you’re interested in receiving instant weather updates from the comfort of your living room, you'll need a weather radio. These convenient, inexpensive, and life-saving little devices will ensure that you’re always one step ahead of bad weather.
Pocket Weather Radio
This is the perfect emergency weather radio to take with you on a variety of excursions. Take it on hiking or backpacking trips where storage space is limited, or on boating or camping trips, where the small battery-powered radio excels. This compact weather radio scans all NOAA weather channels, making finding your local weather a cinch.
Easy to store in your purse or pocket, the Pocket Weather Radio keeps you informed and apprised of any weather-related happenings in your area, so you and your loved ones remain protected.
WR120 NOAA Weather Alert Radio
The WR120 is a convenient alert system that is the gold standard of weather radios. With easily localized alerts, you can receive notice of 60 types of emergencies and hazards.
This superb alert system lets you know—within seconds—if a severe weather pattern is headed your way. It gives you the time you need to request help or get out of the area. Plus, it’s also a programmable alarm clock to boot.
WR300 AM/FM Weather Radio
This weather radio allows you to customize what warnings you receive. It also has an adjustable siren level with color-coded indicators and 23 counties to program into your weather radio.
This NOAA weather radio also switches back and forth from AM to FM to ensure you get every warning and forecast you need to preserve your health and property. With S.A.M.E codes – specific area message encoding – you will know what’s happening weather-wise in your location down to the square millimeter.
WR400 Deluxe Weather Radio
Giving you instant NWS and NOAA weather updates from the privacy of your own home, this deluxe weather radio uses the identical S.A.M.E codes to the WR300 AM/FM Weather Radio. The radio lets you stay apprised of happenings in 25 counties with 80 emergency alerts.
With emergency power backup, your first line of defense won’t let you down, even in a blackout.
The Final Word
Midland weather radios let you focus on specific geographic locations and 60 specific weather hazards and conditions. These radios save countless lives every year through forewarning and predictions.
If you’re interested in the inner workings of the NOAA and the NWS and value the predictions and weather information these national services provide, you need a Midland weather radio that will give you instantaneous results. With a Midland weather radio, you will never be left in the cold!
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