Back-to-back powerful Pacific storm systems to impact the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the end of this week with heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow. A strong, long-duration atmospheric river will accompany the Pacific storms, bringing excessive rainfall and flash flooding to southwest Oregon and northwest California through the week. Read More >
Ajay Mehta
Director of the Office of Observations, National Weather Service
Ajay Mehta is the NWS Director of the Office of Observations. In this role, he oversees the collection of space, atmosphere, water, and climate observational data either owned or leveraged by the NWS. The Office of Observations serves as the primary office responsible for the development, acquisition, and management of systems and programs to meet NWS requirements. These platforms and sensors include: radars, wind profilers, buoys, surface based systems, and upper air systems. The Office also leads volunteer programs and commercial purchases of surface, maritime and aircraft based observations.
Ajay joins the NWS from NESDIS, where he served as the Director of the Office of Satellite Ground Services. In that role, he led ground sustainment efforts for operational satellite systems in low-Earth, geostationary, and deep-space orbits. He also led the transformation and transition of the organization's data ingest, processing, dissemination, and archive capabilities to the cloud.
His previous responsibilities include serving as Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Systems, where he provided oversight of NOAA's satellite acquisition programs by evaluating cost, schedule, and performance of its Earth and space weather satellite portfolio. He served as the Deputy Director for the Joint Polar Satellite System, an $18.9 billion program providing essential observations for the Nation's weather forecasting enterprise. He also served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Satellite and Product Operations, where he managed five Divisions comprising more than 300 civil servants and 250 contractors responsible for the command control of more than 17 civilian and military weather satellites, and the development and dissemination of more than 300 weather, climate and environmental products.
He has represented NOAA on various national and internal groups, including joint NOAA and NASA governance boards, representing NOAA on the U.S. National Ice Center Steering Committee, serving as the U.S. Representative to the Cospas-Sarsat Council, and leading delegations to UN meetings.
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