New for NOAA in 2026: smaller, more accurate forecast cones and an experimental cone that shows the true range of track uncertainty. A must-have on any list.

We are all called upon weekly (or daily) to explain or defend our work. As technical professionals, video conferences, interfacing with colleagues, documenting analysis, preparing reports, and participating in meetings are all part of the daily grind. We all stand first and foremost on our technical analysis. Yet it is not enough to crunch numbers if your career (and salary) are to grow along with your subject matter expertise. It is important to relate your work to the ideas

Understanding your risks relative to an uncertain future usually involves some type of model. When it comes to uncertainty, forecasts, and developing an understanding of my risks, I have found these publicly available sites as the most helpful to me during hurricane season: #1 https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ because NOAA is the best source of data and the updates are the most timely interpretations of the most current data. #2 https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/ because Levi Cowan i