NOAA 'Fully Staffed' with Forecasters, Scientists
losing 24-hour staffing ahead of hurricane season."We are fully staffed with forecasters and scientists. Under no circumstances am I going to let public safety or public forecasting be touched," Lutnick told a Senate appropriations subcommittee overseeing NOAA, saying he got the National Weather Service (NWS) exempted from a federal hiring freeze.NOAA, which includes the NWS, lost around 1,000 people or 10% of its workforce amid federal job layoffs in the first months of the second Trump administration, including 600 at the weather service. At least six NWS offices had stopped the routine
NOAA’s PORTS® System Expands Operations to Include Pearl Harbor-Honolulu
Hawaii, will also have access to these publicly available real-time observations. They will enable safer vessel movement, help determine the amount of cargo a vessel can carry and reduce transit delays for commercial traffic. Honolulu Harbor handles more than 11 million tons of cargo annually. National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu will use PORTS water level observations to anticipate and communicate coastal flooding impacts to the community so preemptive actions can be taken.The Pearl Harbor-Honolulu PORTS consists of one water level and meteorological station located in Pearl Harbor (Ford
NOAA Predicts Cooler Deep Waters for Gulf of Maine
their operations.” This seasonal outlook was developed under the Changing Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) by scientists across NOAA Research and Fisheries, with input from the National Ocean Service, National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service and the National Weather Service.The outlook is based on two models developed by NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The first is SPEAR, the “Seamless System for Prediction and Earth System Research”, which provides large-scale predictions for the ocean, atmosphere and land. The SPEAR output
NOAA Scientist Dismissals Spark Protests
,” she said. “This is being done with a wrecking ball—indiscriminate and reckless.”Boulder, a Democratic stronghold, has long been a center for scientific research, and many residents see NOAA’s work as vital. Protester Brenna Raeder, holding a sign that read “National Weather Service Saves Lives,” voiced her frustration.“This is insanity,” she said. “Defunding these vital services, including wildfire forecasts that save lives here in Colorado, is reckless and dangerous.”Demonstrators emphasized that defending scientific research and public
Padilla, Murkowski Introduce Bill for Atmospheric River Forecasting
by improving atmospheric river forecasting to predict the timing and location of these storms more precisely. The Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a forecast improvement program within the National Weather Service. The legislation was announced as major atmospheric river storms bring high winds, heavy rain, and snowfall to California.Atmospheric rivers - often described as “rivers in the sky” that are hundreds of miles wide and can carry water vapor equivalent to multiple Mississippi Rivers
Chad Cary to Lead NOAA Corps and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
and cyber services.He has held command positions aboard NOAA ships Reuben Lasker and John N. Cobb. He has also served as the director of the NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center. and applied his at-sea and shoreside operational experience and expertise to support NOAA Fisheries, NOAA’s National Weather Service and NOAA headquarters.“I am grateful for this opportunity to continue serving the nation alongside our highly skilled and dedicated workforce,” said Cary. “I would also like to thank my predecessor, Vice Admiral (select) Nancy Hann, for her vision, courageous leadership
Brennan Named Director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center
, and a Masters and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, all from North Carolina State University.“I had the pleasure of working with Mike for four years at NHC, where I observed his steadfast dedication to the mission of saving lives and property,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “Mike is an innovator who has built incredible relationships across the agency and with our emergency management and media partners, and I look forward to the great things ahead at NHC under his leadership.”“I am honored and humbled to work with the talented staff at the
NOAA Research Director McLean to Retire
Research) for nearly seven years, as well as NOAA’s acting Chief Scientist for most of the past five years.As leader of NOAA Research, McLean has raised the public profile of NOAA’s ocean, weather, climate and Great Lakes research. He has strengthened collaboration with NOAA’s National Weather Service and across NOAA, and quickened the pace of using new research to improve NOAA’s forecasts and other products that serve the public, NOAA said of McLean."I have been proud to wear the NOAA jersey for 40 years and work with so many amazing people who perform tirelessly to
NOAA Awards $41 Million for Ocean Observing
to coastal disasters and balance the needs of resource use, economic development and environmental stewardship.The funds are awarded through a competitive process that includes funds from U.S. IOOS along with NOAA’s National Ocean Service, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Weather Service, NOAA Fisheries, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations; the U.S. Geological Survey; and the Environmental Protection Agency.•Over the next five years, the Alaska Ocean Observing System will focus on maintaining and enhancing their Ocean Data Explorer while supporting initiatives
February 2025
