Lawmakers in Washington, DC, have moved ahead with their commitment to invest $100 million in improved antennas and transmitter equipment to expand coverage for the VHF weather radio service of NOAA. A bipartisan measure that authorizes the expense was passed recently by members of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

An estimated 1,030 such weather stations hold licenses to operate on 162 MHz. The antenna and transmitter additions and upgrades focus on NOAA's radio service in remote areas of the US that have a higher risk of extreme weather. Beyond VHF improvements, the bill calls for NOAA to explore options on the microwave band to further strengthen the network's ability to communicate warnings about hazardous conditions. Other language in the bill directs NOAA to explore the possibility of satellite backup or partnerships with commercial providers.

The action in Washington stands in sharp contrast to a recent announcement by the Meteorological Service of Canada - that nation's equivalent of NOAA - that it was ending Weatheradio, its own national VHF radio weather service/

The US lawmakers' measure moves next for a vote in the full House but is not yet on the calendar. The action on Capitol Hill comes almost a year after the White House announced that the administration was looking to cut NOAA's weather research centers, particularly those focused on understanding climate change.