United States. National Weather Service

The National Weather Service is under the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community.

The United States National Weather Service is responsible for documenting and predicting the weather, and for disseminating weather information.

In 1890, the United States Congress created the Weather Bureau within the Department of Agriculture to assume the functions formerly performed by the Signal Corps of the Army (Chapter 1266). The Weather Bureau was responsible for weather forecasting; issuing storm warnings; displaying weather flood signals for the benefit of agriculture, business, and navigation; gauging and reporting on rivers; reporting temperature and rain-fall conditions; displaying frost and cold wave signals; distributing meteorological information; and taking meteorological observations to establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States.

Under the administration of the Department of Agriculture, the functions of the Weather Bureau expanded to include conducting snow surveys and researching relationships between weather and soil erosion. In 1926, several responsibilities were added to the bureau (Chapter 344) The further duties of the bureau were to forecast weather for air navigation, and to establish meteorological offices and stations for the observation, measuring, and investigation of atmospheric phenomena.

The bureau and its functions were transferred to the Department of Commerce in 1940 (Reorganizational Plan No. IV, 8, 5 F.R. 2421, 54 Stat. 1236), but research was to continue within the Department of Agriculture on the effects of weather on such agricultural concerns as the relationships between weather and crops, long-range weather forecasting, and relationships between weather and soil-erosion.

In 1965, a government reorganization consolidated the Weather Bureau with the Coast and Geodetic Survey (Reorganization Plan No. 2). This plan abolished the office of chief of the Weather Bureau, and transferred all the functions of the bureau and its chief to the secretary of Commerce.

The Weather Bureau was renamed the National Weather Service in 1970, and was transferred to the newly-created National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the Department of Commerce (Reorganization Plan, No. 4; CFR, Ch. IX, Title 15(B)).