Gary Szatkowski
@garyszatkowski.bsky.social
Part-time meteorologist but mostly retired
Back east in and around the Delaware Valley, potentially major impacts with this upcoming storm over the holiday weekend.
October 10, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Back east in and around the Delaware Valley, potentially major impacts with this upcoming storm over the holiday weekend.
I missed the memo where this was the weekend the NFL was going to show off by blocking field goals.
September 21, 2025 at 11:44 PM
I missed the memo where this was the weekend the NFL was going to show off by blocking field goals.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
DOGE cut hundreds of jobs at the National Weather Service, but experts who spoke to WIRED say the agency accurately predicted the state's weekend flood risk. What’s more, they say it underscores the need to sustain funding to the crucial agency.
Meteorologists Say the National Weather Service Did Its Job in Texas
DOGE cut hundreds of jobs at the NWS, but experts who spoke to WIRED say the agency accurately predicted the flood risk in Texas.
www.wired.com
July 5, 2025 at 9:04 PM
DOGE cut hundreds of jobs at the National Weather Service, but experts who spoke to WIRED say the agency accurately predicted the state's weekend flood risk. What’s more, they say it underscores the need to sustain funding to the crucial agency.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
Based on some of the reactions and comments I am absorbing by average people and elected officials, I think there needs to be a serious explanation and lesson on what the limits of predictability are for floods like the one in Texas.
July 5, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Based on some of the reactions and comments I am absorbing by average people and elected officials, I think there needs to be a serious explanation and lesson on what the limits of predictability are for floods like the one in Texas.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
It's a busy Sunday afternoon: Tropical Storm Barry is...well, it's a thing, I guess. The NE Gulf area has been formally identified as an area to watch. TS Flossie in the Pacific is going to bring heavy rain to Mexico. And we have important new perspective on the loss of critical satellite data.
Tropical Storm Barry will soon move inland in Mexico, while the northeast Gulf gets an area to watch next week
In brief: Tropical Storm Barry is a disorganized mess that will be inland over Mexico later today as a heavy rain producer. Another area to watch has now been formally identified in the NE Gulf or …
theeyewall.com
June 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
It's a busy Sunday afternoon: Tropical Storm Barry is...well, it's a thing, I guess. The NE Gulf area has been formally identified as an area to watch. TS Flossie in the Pacific is going to bring heavy rain to Mexico. And we have important new perspective on the loss of critical satellite data.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms *were* in the forecast for SoCal, but it looks like it's one of those days where the atmosphere has other plans: Widespread #thunderstorms are now developing across much of SoCal, including LA Metro & Inland Empire! #CAwx #LArain
June 3, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms *were* in the forecast for SoCal, but it looks like it's one of those days where the atmosphere has other plans: Widespread #thunderstorms are now developing across much of SoCal, including LA Metro & Inland Empire! #CAwx #LArain
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
NEW: US weather forecasting is in worse shape than previously known, with 30 NWS forecast offices missing meteorologists-in-charge and about a dozen offices at risk of no longer serving their communities 24/7. www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/w...
US weather forecasting is more crippled than previously thought as hurricane season nears | CNN
Several current and former agency meteorologists and staff told CNN they are concerned warnings won’t be issued in time as hurricane season nears.
www.cnn.com
May 2, 2025 at 1:47 PM
NEW: US weather forecasting is in worse shape than previously known, with 30 NWS forecast offices missing meteorologists-in-charge and about a dozen offices at risk of no longer serving their communities 24/7. www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/w...
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
My thoughts on why announced cuts to weather balloon launches are bad for weather forecasting. I tried to do some meteorology 101 too
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
Weather Balloon Cuts Announced This Week Could Harm Weather Forecasts
This week the National Weather Service announced reductions in weather balloon launches. Experts warn that could harm weather forecast accuracy, the economy and safety.
www.forbes.com
March 21, 2025 at 12:43 PM
My thoughts on why announced cuts to weather balloon launches are bad for weather forecasting. I tried to do some meteorology 101 too
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
Contributed to a news article in Philadelphia Inquirer about the impact of staffing cuts on the National Weather Service.
www.inquirer.com/news/noaa-la...
www.inquirer.com/news/noaa-la...
What the National Weather Service cuts may mean for forecasting on the verge of severe-storm season
The cuts could have immediate effects around the country as the severe-storm season is about to ramp up.
www.inquirer.com
March 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Contributed to a news article in Philadelphia Inquirer about the impact of staffing cuts on the National Weather Service.
www.inquirer.com/news/noaa-la...
www.inquirer.com/news/noaa-la...
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
🚨 This is important as this is some of the foundational weather data for initialization of all weather models, not just NOAA ones. In other words, even the ECMWF (Euro) models could see degraded performance over time if this becomes a regular issue. Very troubling stuff here.
More fallout from the indiscriminate NWS firings:
"Effective immediately, and until further notice, the [NWS] is temporarily suspending some weather balloon launches in Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine, due to a lack of Weather Forecast Office (WFO) staffing."
www.weather.gov/media/notifi...
"Effective immediately, and until further notice, the [NWS] is temporarily suspending some weather balloon launches in Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine, due to a lack of Weather Forecast Office (WFO) staffing."
www.weather.gov/media/notifi...
March 7, 2025 at 9:57 PM
🚨 This is important as this is some of the foundational weather data for initialization of all weather models, not just NOAA ones. In other words, even the ECMWF (Euro) models could see degraded performance over time if this becomes a regular issue. Very troubling stuff here.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
Devastating doesn’t even begin to describe the damage this will do to scientific progress, real-time alerting, real-time monitoring, and forecasting too.
DOGE is gutting the federal agency that leads climate research and oversees the weather service, laying off 10% of staff (with the ultimate goal of eliminating 50%) and cancelling office leases, @justcalma.bsky.social scoops www.theverge.com/news/622990/...
The US faces ‘devastating’ losses for weather forecasts, federal workers say
“If these cuts continue, you will feel them personally.”
www.theverge.com
March 4, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Devastating doesn’t even begin to describe the damage this will do to scientific progress, real-time alerting, real-time monitoring, and forecasting too.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
Relevant to the AMS Annual Meeting...
A lapse of funding forces all federally sponsored travel to become unauthorized. Should the lapse of funding continue into mid-January, federal scientists will be unable to travel to attend. 2019 was the most recent example of this.
A lapse of funding forces all federally sponsored travel to become unauthorized. Should the lapse of funding continue into mid-January, federal scientists will be unable to travel to attend. 2019 was the most recent example of this.
If the government shuts down, the NWS keeps working without pay until the government is funded again.
Some perspective for people who are saying they hope there is a government shutdown. Government workers are real people. Your friends, your neighbors, even maybe your family. Some of us are still required to work during a shutdown, and guess what? We do not get paid for that work until…(1/2)
December 19, 2024 at 5:32 PM
Relevant to the AMS Annual Meeting...
A lapse of funding forces all federally sponsored travel to become unauthorized. Should the lapse of funding continue into mid-January, federal scientists will be unable to travel to attend. 2019 was the most recent example of this.
A lapse of funding forces all federally sponsored travel to become unauthorized. Should the lapse of funding continue into mid-January, federal scientists will be unable to travel to attend. 2019 was the most recent example of this.
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends Saturday .This year the Atlantic basin saw:
-18 named storms in 2024 (winds of 39 mph or greater)
-11 of those were hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater)
-5 intensified to major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater)
-18 named storms in 2024 (winds of 39 mph or greater)
-11 of those were hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater)
-5 intensified to major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater)
November 25, 2024 at 9:31 PM
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends Saturday .This year the Atlantic basin saw:
-18 named storms in 2024 (winds of 39 mph or greater)
-11 of those were hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater)
-5 intensified to major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater)
-18 named storms in 2024 (winds of 39 mph or greater)
-11 of those were hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater)
-5 intensified to major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater)
Reposted by Gary Szatkowski
My family near Scranton, PA picked up about 12" of snow today.
November 22, 2024 at 10:48 PM
My family near Scranton, PA picked up about 12" of snow today.