You 've seen the headlines this week : `` Huge ice storm hits the South . '' `` Disastrous snow storm heads toward East Coast . '' If you live southeast of the Appalachians , weather bulletins about ice and snow have been almost impossible to avoid the past few days . But as scary as they sound , few realize it could be a whole lot more deadly . Even though the storms of February are not over , it is safe to say that their ultimate cost will be in the tens of billions of dollars and may further dampen what some economists believe is an already weak recovery . Production grinds to a halt in areas where there is no electricity . Goods can not be transported over blizzard-closed highways . Plus , there is the human toll : People shivering in homes without power for days and lost wages because of factories shutting down when parts ca n't reach the assembly line . But here 's an unexpected thought : Without weather science , all of this would be much worse . Live blog : Deadly weather . We only have to go back two weeks to get a glimpse of what life would be like without weather forecasts and storm warnings . Atlanta and Georgia officials chose to ignore accurate warnings of 1 to 3 inches of snow , resulting in utter gridlock and 22-hour one-way commutes . With that wake-up call , people took the forecasts seriously this time . Schedules were adjusted and people worked from home . For days , meteorologists warned of widespread power failures . As of Wednesday afternoon , the number of people without power in the Southeast -- the number of households without power multiplied by 3.5 people per household -- was more than 1 million and rising rapidly . It appears that most people in affected areas where power has been lost heeded the warnings so as to mitigate the effects . Track Winter weather in the South . And all that is because our nation 's complex weather infrastructure -- state-of-the-art technology , satellites in the sky , powerful computers on the ground and talented , committed professionals in the public and private sector -- is making it easier and faster for you to know when the big one is coming , saving money and saving lives . As I explained in my book , `` Warnings : The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather , '' America 's life-saving storm warning system was created by dedicated scientists fighting storms and bureaucracy to provide the accurate warnings we enjoy today . Over the years , a beneficial division of duties has evolved : The taxpayer-funded National Weather Service provides the meteorological infrastructure needed by everyone as well as forecasts and storm warnings for the public-at-large . Snow , ice pummel Southeast , stranding drivers , cutting power . Private-sector weather organizations such as CNN and AccuWeather draw on this infrastructure to provide specifically tailored forecasts and storm warnings needed by television audiences , businesses and other specialized clientele . This system works extraordinarily well . America 's Weather Enterprise -- the sum of the National Weather Service , related federal agencies , commercial weather companies and local meteorologists -- are all striving to build a weather-ready nation . And there is plenty of work yet to be done : . -- More and better measurements of the state of the atmosphere . -- Better computer models that can use those measurements to create more accurate forecast guidance . -- Accurate , timely forecasts for the public . -- Specialized services for businesses , government agencies and others to suit their specific requirements . -- Educating the public and specialized users about the ways to use weather information most effectively to protect people and property . Unfortunately , there are those who propose putting the safety of the public in jeopardy by changing the emphasis of the National Weather Service to an organization primarily dedicated to giving `` decision-support services . '' This means that instead of a successful , vital agency providing and maintaining the weather infrastructure to make sure we know when the next storm is coming -- all based on real data -- they would be turned into governmental `` consultants '' with the duty to help bureaucrats and others make decisions . For instance , as the current ice storm was developing , a forecaster at the Atlanta National Weather Service office wrote Monday in an `` area forecast discussion '' that he did n't have sufficient time for forecasting the ice storm because he was spending most of his time on `` decision support . '' Whether it is a hurricane , ice storm , blizzard or tornado looming , what does that taxpayer prefer ? An accurate storm warning for everyone , or the National Weather Service forecasters distracted by giving weather briefings to specialized groups , something that may not be part of their core expertise ? By keeping the current division of duties , the American Weather Industry can boost the American economy -- and provide much-needed jobs -- while saving the government money . It is a win-win for everyone .
Mike Smith says that advances in weather science have made forecasting much better . A robust weather infrastructure and public/private partnerships have improved forecasts . Comment: