New Weather Center to Improve Storm Response in New York

The new State Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany, N.Y., unveiled this week, will serve to enhance the collaboration between university researchers and state emergency managers, thus allowing for more informed decisions to protect the community from weather-related hazards.

An annual investment of $1.5 million will fund about 10 full-time workers along with hourly student employees and internships. It will help the Mesonet — a statewide system of weather observation stations that provide real-time views of weather across the state — develop new data-computing products and purchase new equipment for the center’s operation hub.

“New Yorkers know all too well that climate change has caused more frequent, intense and unpredictable storms across our state, and we need to innovate ideas to help us respond,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

The center will combine forecasts from the National Weather Service and supplemental data from the Mesonet with information about critical infrastructure for a different perspective. It will also help other public entities, such as school systems, decide how to respond to winter storms.