Costly systems are at risk.
The Solar-Terrestrial predictions Workshop, held in Ottawa in 1992, brought forecasters, customers and the physics community together in a common forum to present and discuss recent advancements. Advances in theory, modeling and measurements within the space physics and aeronomy scientific community, sponsored by US government agencies NSF, NASA, NOAA, DoD and DoE, have significantly increased our understanding of the near Earth environment to the point where a significant improvement in the operational forecast service for space environmental effects is feasible. By coordinating the current resources of all these agencies, the nation has much of the infrastructure needed to develop, implement and augment a forecasting service that would provide accurate and timely predictions to a large and diversified customer base. Recognizing this, an interagency executive committee is investigating the possibility of enhancing our present capabilities in space weather through such a coordinated interagency effort. While no single sector within society could pay for the services of NWS, the total value of the services far exceeds their cost.