NOAA’s National Weather Service Mission Statement

“The National Weather Service 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 that can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community.”

A Brief History of the National Weather Service

Weather has played an integral part in American lives from the Country’s beginnings with weather record keeping dating back to the settlers of the 1740s.  The NWS was first organized through the Organic Act passed by Congress on February 2, 1870 and signed into law by President Grant on February 9, 1870. The Organic Act created the Army Signal Service authorizing “the Secretary of War to take observations at military stations and to warn of storms on the Great Lakes and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.”  The success of the agency through the years made this group of dedicated weather forecasters and observers one of the more popular and well-known federal agencies.

The Signal Service later moved in 1891 to the Agriculture Department. Along with this move came a name change to the Weather Bureau.  Realizing that the Weather Bureau played an important role for the aviation community, and therefore commerce, President Franklin D. Roosevelt transferred the Weather Bureau to the Department of Commerce in 1940, where it remains today.  The Weather Bureau name changed to the National Weather Service in 1970 and became a component of the Commerce Department's newly created National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the NWS underwent a major modernization, and today uses the latest technological and scientific advances to complete its mission.

Who We Are…

The NWS currently has 122 Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) located in 6 geographical regions across the United States, including Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

The individual WFOs are augmented by 9 Centers specializing in specific meteorological areas.

Aviation Weather Center provides aviation warnings and forecasts of hazardous flight conditions at all levels within domestic and international air space.

Climate Prediction Center monitors and forecasts short-term climate fluctuations and provides information on the effects climate patterns can have on the nation.

Environmental Modeling Center develops and improves numerical weather, climate, hydrological, and ocean prediction through a broad program in partnership with the research community.

Hydrometeorological Prediction Center provides nationwide analysis and forecast guidance products out through seven days.

NCEP Central Operations sustains and executes the operational suite of numerical analyses and forecast models and prepares NCEP products for dissemination.

Ocean Prediction Center issues weather warnings and forecasts out to five days for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans north of 30 degrees North.

Space Weather Prediction Center provides space weather alerts and warnings for disturbances that can affect people and equipment working in space and on earth.

Storm Prediction Center provides tornado and severe weather watches and outlooks for the contiguous United States along with fire weather forecasts and other hazardous weather information.

National Hurricane Center provides forecasts of the movement and strength of tropical weather systems and issues watches and warnings for the U.S. and surrounding areas.

Your Local NWS Office…

The Salt Lake City (SLC) WFO has been located at the William J. Alder building near the Salt Lake City International Airport since 1994. The office houses the WFO, as well as the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) and the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center (FSUAC). The CBRFC provides river and flood forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property, and provides basic hydrologic forecast information for much of the interior western US. The FSUAC provides daily avalanche advisories, avalanche warnings, mountain weather forecasts, and avalanche education.