Energy & Environment Newsletter

Reorganization, other changes loom for NWS

by Rachel Frazin - 04/22/26 6:36 PM ET

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by Rachel Frazin - 04/22/26 6:36 PM ET

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Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Weather Service faces reorganization

The Trump administration is reorganizing the National Weather Service (NWS) and making changes to forecasting, while a key union representative warns the reorganization could involve potential staff cuts.

Federal employees at the NWS’s Weather Forecast Offices, which provide everyday Americans with local forecasts and severe weather warnings, have learned about impending changes to their baseline staffing levels as part of the transformation coming to the weather service, said Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO).

While the administration acknowledged that it is undergoing a reorganization, it denies that the weather service faces staff cuts.

“There are no staff cuts planned at NWS. In fact, we are hiring,” said NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei in an email.

“Since late 2025, NWS has been hiring and onboarding a targeted number of meteorologists and other positions deemed necessary for operational continuity. We have filled over 200 positions since then,” Grow Cei added.

She acknowledged that there would be a reorganization, which she said would “streamline administrative and management functions to promote greater accountability” and improve efficiency.

At the same time, the weather service appears to be automating at least some of its forecasts. An April 8 forecast out of Montana noted that “The forecast beyond day 4 has little to no human intervention (per NWS policy) and should be used with caution.”