Combination of strong winds, dry conditions and above normal temperatures will result in elevated to critical fire weather concerns for the Southern Plains and portions of Southern California. This is part of a storm system that is tracking across the central Plains with occasional snow showers and heavier snow from the Rockies through the Central/Northern Plains. Read More >
Dr. Thomas Graziano
Director, Office of Water Prediction
National Weather Service (NWS)
Dr. Thomas Graziano is the Director of the Office of Water Prediction (OWP), a geographically distributed organization that includes elements in Maryland, Minnesota and Alabama. The OWP collaboratively researches, develops and delivers state-of-the-science national hydrologic analyses, forecast information, data, decision-support services and guidance to support and inform essential emergency services and water management decisions.
Tom has held numerous leadership roles over 30 years of Federal service, most recently serving as the Chief of Staff for the National Weather Service, from November 2013 to January 2016.
Tom began his career in the NWS in 1990 as a visiting professor and liaison for the Cooperative Program for Meteorology Education and Training (COMET) at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, Co. Tom supported efforts to develop distance learning training of NWS forecasters and led the effort to establish an undergraduate program in meteorology at the USAFA.
In 1993, Tom joined the NWS staff at the Raleigh, NC, Weather Forecast Office as a Research Meteorologist, where he earned a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science through the University Assignment Program. In 1995 he moved to NWS headquarters in Silver Spring, MD, to serve as the National Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting (QPF) Program Leader and led the national effort to define requirements and address the science and service issues to enhance the end-to-end quantitative precipitation forecast process.
From 2000 to 2013, Tom worked in hydrologic services, most notably as the Chief of the Hydrologic Services Division within the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services. He was responsible for leading the development of NWS plans, policies, and procedures for hydrologic warning and forecast operations. Tom was also deeply involved in the implementation of the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS), the establishment of the Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS) Consortium with the U.S. Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the programmatic plans and construction of the National Water Center (NWC).
Tom was awarded a Bronze Medal in 2003 work on flash flood decision assistance, a Bronze Medal in 2001 and a NOAA Administrator’s Award in 1999 for his work on the quantitative precipitation forecasting process, and the DOC Energy and Environmental Stewardship in 2015 for the design and construction of the NWC.
In addition to his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Tom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Northern Illinois University (1981) and a Master of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State University (1985).
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