Published reports about the downsizing of a number of US federal agencies indicate that NOAA, the government's climate and weather agency, is bracing for another 1,000 job cuts on top of its recent loss of an estimated 1,300 staffers. The National Weather Service, which is part of NOAA, announced earlier this month that it was temporarily halting launches of some of its weather balloons because of staffing shortages. Data gathered by the weather balloons have been, among other things, an important source of data used by hams and others who regularly track the solar cycle.
Sources told the Washington Post that the government may not renew the leases for NOAA's weather and climate center in Maryland and for its radar operations center in Oklahoma.
According to a report in the New York Times, additional cuts will mean a reduction in NOAA's staffing by 20 percent. The Washington Post said that the National Weather Service now has fewer than 4,000 on staff, the smallest roster in recent history.
A number of amateur radio nets, including the Hurricane Watch Net and the Maritime Mobile Service Net, interact with the National Weather Service during storms and other emergencies, passing traffic and transmitting critical bulletins. It was unclear what impact these staffing cuts will ultimately have on amateur radio's role in safety communications during times of crisis.