NWS Scrambles to Rehire After Major Cuts as Winter Storm Risk Looms

The National Weather Service (NWS) is slowly rebuilding staff after hundreds of positions were cut earlier this year, but hiring progress remains slow as a potentially cold, snowy winter approaches. Roughly 80 final offers have been accepted so far for meteorologists, hydrologists and other specialized roles, and the agency received authorization in late July to hire up to 450 people after about 550 positions were eliminated.

Persistent Vacancies Threaten Forecast Capacity

More than a dozen forecast offices continue to operate with significant staffing shortfalls, leaving some facilities stretched thin during high-impact weather events. A fully staffed forecast office requires 13 meteorologists to provide continuous 24/7 coverage; many offices are operating with only 10 or 11 people. According to union data compiled by Tom Fahy, legislative director of the NWS Employees Organization, the Goodland, Kansas office is short eight meteorologists, while offices in Rapid City, N.D., and Cheyenne, Wyo., are each short seven or eight.

Operational Impacts: Balloon Launches and Experience Loss

An anonymous NOAA official said one forecast office — in Hanford, California — lacks enough staff to run 24/7. Several other offices have cut the cadence of upper-air balloon launches from the standard twice-daily schedule to once a day or have missed launches entirely. Nine offices currently launch balloons only once per day. These soundings collect temperature, humidity, pressure and wind data from the surface up to about 40,000 feet; missing observations can reduce the reliability of numerical weather prediction models and degrade forecast precision.

"The administration is trying to put out a fire that they started," said Rick Spinrad, who led NOAA during the Biden administration. He warned that even hiring 450 people would not immediately replace the institutional knowledge lost during the cuts: "There is little chance that they would have the centuries of experience held by their predecessors."

Spinrad added: "I worry that timing, accuracy, and delivery of forecasts, watches, and warnings will degrade to the point of risking lives and property. I envision one or more severe winter storms for which emergency managers, departments of transportation, and hospitals will be less prepared and forewarned than they have been historically."

Hiring Progress and Agency Response

The NOAA official said the Weather Service has prioritized accelerating hires and has seen strong applicant interest; more than 180 positions have been announced so far, and the agency intends to continue recruiting until the authorized 450 positions are filled. The official noted that some hires have been made but that onboarding, personnel moves and matching specialized skills to regional needs take time.

Noaa spokesperson Kim Doster told CNN that the NWS is "properly staffed to meet our mission of predicting weather hazards and providing essential services at all levels to keep communities informed, and we remain fully ready for the winter season ahead." Doster said voluntary reassignments and targeted hires are broadening frontline talent and that the agency expects to complete remaining hires by the end of fiscal 2026.

Why It Matters

Understaffing can affect the timing and accuracy of forecasts and warnings, particularly ahead of intense winter storms that threaten lives and infrastructure. Even as hiring continues, experts emphasize that rebuilding capacity and restoring lost experience will take time — creating a period of heightened risk for communities that depend on timely, accurate weather guidance.