From your favorite local meteorologist to your weather app of choice — however you get your forecast, the National Weather Service plays a role.
In addition to collecting data to inform forecasting models, the federal agency is responsible for issuing weather warnings and alerts to keep people and property safe.
"They save lives around the country, there's not the slightest doubt of that," said local veteran meteorologist, Don Paul.
Paul has worked in the Buffalo area since 1984, both on our TV screens for WIVB and WKBW, and in print for The Buffalo News.
Despite now being semi-retired, Paul told WBFO he uses the National Weather Service "every day."
But the Trump-administration has set in motion 1,029 job cuts for its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, as first reported by the Associated Press.
Brandon Dunstan, Executive Vice President at the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the staff union, confirmed those numbers, though he told WBFO they could still change since they require approval from the Department of Commerce.
If the layoffs go ahead, it would be a 10% cut to NOAA's workforce.
"Nothing is set in stone at this point, and there will be effects to the National Weather Service," he said.
Dunstan said that to his knowledge, no positions have or are set to be terminated at the National Weather Service Buffalo field office in Cheektowaga, which forecasts for all eight counties in Western New York, as well as parts of Central New York up to Watertown.
But Dunstan noted the federal hiring freeze leaves two positions there unfilled.
"They had vacancies prior to this year that are affecting the Buffalo office. They're down one lead forecaster, and they're down a science and operation officer," Dunstan said.
"The science and operation officer is part of the management team, and the lead forecaster is one of our forecasters that work the operational shifts that help keep your community safe with the forecast watches, warnings and advisories," he explained.
National Weather Service Buffalo declined to comment and referred WBFO to the agency's public relations office.
The upcoming layoffs add to the roughly 275 National Weather Service workers already let go in February according to Dunstan, either fired during probation or taking early retirement as part of DOGE cuts.
While no local job losses have been reported, last week the agency announced it has stopped launching some weather balloons that collect observations for forecast models from two locations due to staffing shortages. One of those launch locations is Albany. Paul notes this will have a knock-on effect for local and international forecasters.
"That's going to hurt the performance of the models," he said.
"There's a global network, and it includes all the major industrialized countries who all are depending on this community of data, not just the personnel."
NOAA did not respond to WBFO’s request for comment.
