Tuolumne County Needs Weather Data
In Tuolumne County, weather shapes our daily lives. We watch storms build over the ridges, track shifting winds during fire season, and pay close attention to creek levels rising due to heavy rain or rapid snowmelt. Precise, real-time weather information is essential for preparing for wildfires, flooding, winter storms, and extreme heat. In a region where many neighborhoods have only one road in or out, where microclimates change from canyon to ridge, and where emergency services are understaffed, accurate weather data is vital for public safety.
On June 6, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website Climate.gov was archived (1). The site is no longer updated or fully accessible, leaving many datasets outdated or unavailable. These include tools used by emergency managers, journalists, researchers, and local governments. To fill this gap in essential data, former Climate.gov staff are volunteering to rebuild the public tools through a new nonprofit site, Climate.us (2), but sustainable funding is uncertain.
Diminished data quality increases the likelihood of delayed or inaccurate warnings. In mountainous regions like ours, even small deviations in forecast timing or intensity can affect evacuation routes, resource deployment, road closures, and shelter operations. Protecting rural communities requires reliable weather intelligence. Maintaining full access to federal weather and climate data is a core public safety obligation.
Take Action
- Install low-cost weather stations. Home weather stations (often under $200) feed data into national networks like Weather Underground, improving hyper-local forecasting in areas where official sensors are sparse. See the Weather Underground Buying Guide.
- Advocate for enhanced funding to provide increased staffing for Tuolumne County’s Office of Emergency Services.
- Take a community preparedness class from the Tuolumne County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
- Donate to the Tuolumne County Fire Safe Council.
- Contact Congressional representatives to support full funding for NOAA datasets and the National Weather Service.
- Support Climate.us in their efforts to restore lost Climate.gov tools.
NOTES
- “Decommissioning of NOAA-18 scheduled for June 6, 2025, 1733-1749 UTC,” National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce, June 5, 2025.
- “They’re hiding the truth. We’re fighting back,” Climate.us.