FAQ on Recent Changes Affecting NOAA and the U.S. Weather Enterprise
- What actions have the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taken that are impacting NOAA?
- The Trump administration, guided by DOGE, has initiated several measures impacting NOAA, including canceling leases for key weather forecasting centers like the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, MD, and the Radar Operations Center in Norman, OK, initiating layoffs of NOAA employees, particularly probationary staff and those involved in DEI initiatives, terminating NOAA's space, climate, and marine life advisory committees, and planning for deeper budget cuts.
- Why are the lease cancellations for NOAA buildings a cause for concern?
- The NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction houses the National Weather Service's National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the Environmental Modeling Center. Canceling the lease could force NOAA to replicate its functionality elsewhere, potentially causing critical forecasting gaps lasting a year or more, requiring new congressional appropriations, and disrupting the generation of national weather forecasts. The Radar Operations Center is vital for maintaining and improving the nation’s Doppler weather radar network.
- What is the potential impact of NOAA staff layoffs on weather forecasting and public safety?
- Layoffs, particularly of experienced meteorologists-in-charge at local forecast offices and staff at the Environmental Modeling Center, could compromise forecast and warning accuracy, delay detection of severe weather events like tornadoes, and reduce the agency's ability to update and maintain critical weather models. This, combined with the impacts of climate change, could have adverse consequences for public safety.
- What is the role of NOAA's advisory committees, and why is their termination significant?
- NOAA's advisory committees consisted of non-federal experts providing advice on critical issues such as space debris, climate services, coastal area management, and marine fisheries. Terminating these committees eliminates a crucial channel for external expertise, potentially leading to decisions that are not informed by the best available science.
- What is the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) position on the changes affecting NOAA and other federal science agencies?
- The AMS urges strong support for NOAA and other federal science agencies and extreme caution in altering federal roles and responsibilities within the weather enterprise. It warns that reductions in federal science capabilities risk U.S. leadership in scientific innovation and could increase vulnerability to hazardous weather. The AMS emphasizes the importance of the public-private partnership in the weather enterprise for public safety, economic well-being, and U.S. global leadership.
