Overview

• Nearly 600 departures this year through firings, buyouts, retirements and resignations have pushed NWS staffing below 4,000, a level veterans say they have never seen.
• Union leaders warn of a breaking point as forecasters work double shifts, share workload across offices, and scale back weather balloon launches and community outreach.
• Two forecast offices — in California’s Central Valley and western Kansas — no longer operate around the clock, and others report reduced overnight staffing with single-person shifts.
• NOAA says the Weather Service remains equipped to meet its mission, citing performance during the recent Texas floods as evidence of continued operational capability.
• The administration proposes a $1.7 billion cut to NOAA for FY2026 even as up to 450 hires are authorized, with slow federal onboarding raising concerns about near-term coverage gaps.