Proposed NOAA budget cuts target atmospheric research, data, and weather satellites

America's two leading professional weather organizations warn the plan could have 'disastrous' consequences.

America's two leading professional weather organizations warn the plan could have 'disastrous' consequences.

NEWS LEADER. THE WHITE HOUSE IS PROPOSING SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION. THAT’S THE FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THE NATION’S WEATHER AND CLIMATE. THE PLAN WOULD CUT THE AGENCY’S $6 BILLION BUDGET BY MORE THAN 25%. ��vlog METEOROLOGIST ZANE SATCHER TELLS US WHAT THOSE CHANGES COULD MEAN. THE MOST DRAMATIC CUTS WOULD BE TO NOAA’S OFFICE OF OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH. NOAA CURRENTLY RUNS TEN RESEARCH LABS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT FUNDS 16 INSTITUTES AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES, SIX REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTERS, AND OTHER RESEARCH PROGRAMS. THE PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD REDUCE NOAA’S RESEARCH FUNDING BY ALMOST 75% AND ELIMINATE ITS RESEARCH OFFICE ALTOGETHER. SOME PROGRAMS WOULD REMAIN LIKE SEVERE WEATHER AND RADAR RESEARCH, AND WOULD MOVE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NOW, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ITSELF WOULD BE FUNDED AT 2024 LEVELS, A BUDGET OF ABOUT $1.2 BILLION. NOW, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER HUNDREDS OF THE WEATHER SERVICE’S ROUGHLY 5000 EMPLOYEES WERE FIRED EARLIER THIS SPRING, AND A SIMILAR NUMBER ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE BUYOUTS, FURTHER REDUCING SERVICES LIKE WEATHER BALLOON LAUNCHES. NOW, WHAT EFFECTS COULD YOU NOTICE FROM ALL THESE CHANGES? THE MOST IMMEDIATE ONE WOULD BE A LOSS OF INFORMATION. MUCH OF THE HISTORICAL WEATHER DATA WE ANALYZE AND SHARE WITH YOU EVERY WEEK COMES FROM NOAA’S CLIMATE CENTERS, WHICH WOULD BE DEFUNDED. FOR EXAMPLE, THE MIDWEST REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER, WHICH TAILORS A LOT OF ITS DATA TOWARDS AGRICULTURE, RECENTLY WENT DARK FOR MULTIPLE DAYS WHEN ITS FUNDING LAPSED. THAT WOULD LIKELY BECOME PERMANENT IF THESE PROPOSALS BECOME REALITY. AND NOAA’S RESEARCH LABS HAVE ALSO BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OF THE SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS IN AREAS LIKE COMPUTER MODELING, HURRICANE PREDICTION, FLOOD FORECASTING, AND RADAR. MUCH OF THAT WORK WOULD END NOW. SO FAR, THIS PLAN IS JUST A PROPOSAL AND WOULD REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM CONGRESS. AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ MORE OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES AND

Proposed NOAA budget cuts target atmospheric research, data, and weather satellites

America's two leading professional weather organizations warn the plan could have 'disastrous' consequences.

The Trump administration has proposed sweeping funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to an internal White House memo. This particular memo was obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle and can be read in its entirety here.Elimination of most researchThe proposal would reduce NOAA’s overall budget to $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2026 — a 27% reduction from current levels.The most significant cuts planned are for the agency’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), where funding would be slashed by 74%. According to the document, this “eliminates all funding for climate, weather, and ocean Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes,” and “does not fund Regional Climate Data and Information…”OAR would be “eliminated."Remaining programs, like severe storm and radar research, would be moved to the National Weather Service.The National Weather Service itself would be funded at fiscal year 2024 levels — a budget of $1.2 billion. Cuts to satellite programUS weather satellites are run by NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), which would receive $336 million in fiscal year 2026, down 12% from 2024. The proposed budget also recommends downsizing the GeoXO program, the next generation of weather satellites planned for the 2030s. NESDIS is directed to “immediately cancel all major instrument and spacecraft contracts on the GeoXO program,” and find ways to lower the project’s long-term cost from nearly $20 billion to less than $12 billion. The document suggests several adjustments to cheapen the satellites. Multiple advanced instruments meant to better monitor Earth’s atmosphere and oceans could be cut from the spacecraft. NASA’s role in NOAA’s weather satellite program would also be terminated. Effects on meteorologists and data accessShould this proposal become reality, climate and weather research would be greatly reduced.Access to historical data would also be jeopardized. Meteorologists around the country, including here at ��vlog, use something called the Applied Climate Information System (ACIS) to look up weather data from past years. ACIS is maintained by NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers, which would be defunded.The Midwest Regional Climate Center’s funding already lapsed for a four-day period in April, making data temporarily unavailable.Most U.S. weather data is still housed at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, but it also faces a proposed 26% budget cut. The American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association released a joint statement warning of “disastrous consequences for public safety and economic health” if cuts to NOAA’s research operations are enacted.» Subscribe to ��vlog's YouTube page» Download the free ��vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

DES MOINES, Iowa —

The Trump administration has proposed sweeping funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to an internal White House memo.

This particular memo was obtained by the and can be read in its entirety .

Elimination of most research

The proposal would reduce NOAA’s overall budget to $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2026 — a 27% reduction from current levels.

The most significant cuts planned are for the agency’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), where funding would be slashed by 74%.

According to the document, this “eliminates all funding for climate, weather, and ocean Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes,” and “does not fund Regional Climate Data and Information…”

OAR would be “eliminated."

Remaining programs, like severe storm and radar research, would be moved to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service itself would be funded at fiscal year 2024 levels — a budget of $1.2 billion.

Cuts to satellite program

US weather satellites are run by NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), which would receive $336 million in fiscal year 2026, down 12% from 2024.

The proposed budget also recommends downsizing the , the next generation of weather satellites planned for the 2030s.

NESDIS is directed to “immediately cancel all major instrument and spacecraft contracts on the GeoXO program,” and find ways to lower the project’s long-term cost from nearly to less than $12 billion.

The document suggests several adjustments to cheapen the satellites.

Multiple advanced instruments meant to better monitor Earth’s atmosphere and oceans could be cut from the spacecraft. NASA’s role in NOAA’s weather satellite program would also be terminated.

Effects on meteorologists and data access

Should this proposal become reality, climate and weather research would be greatly reduced.

Access to historical data would also be jeopardized. Meteorologists around the country, including here at ��vlog, use something called the Applied Climate Information System (ACIS) to look up weather data from past years.

ACIS is maintained by NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers, which would be defunded.

The Midwest Regional Climate Center’s funding already lapsed for a four-day period in April, making data temporarily unavailable.

Most U.S. weather data is still housed at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, but it also faces a proposed 26% budget cut.

The American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association warning of “disastrous consequences for public safety and economic health” if cuts to NOAA’s research operations are enacted.

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