National Weather Service Plans to Hire 450 Workers Following Staffing Cuts

WASHINGTON — The National Weather Service (NWS) plans to hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians in response to recent staffing cuts. This decision comes just months after the agency faced significant layoffs and a federal hiring freeze.

An official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that these positions are considered ‘front-line mission critical.’ The move follows approval by the Office of Personnel Management, which allows for expedited hiring due to a severe shortage of candidates.

In total, more than 600 NWS employees were affected earlier this year due to cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, with nearly half of those positions eliminated during the Trump administration. The layoffs have raised concerns about the agency’s readiness for the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season, especially in light of fatal flash floods in Texas.

Staff members reacted to the news with cautious optimism. Current employees have been working longer hours while taking on added responsibilities since the layoffs occurred. However, some employees expressed frustration, questioning the time and resources needed to train new staff, especially when experienced personnel had been let go.

The recent hiring push is part of a broader effort by the NWS to ensure public safety during extreme weather events. NOAA had advocated strongly for an exemption to the federal hiring freeze, citing the need for adequate staffing to maintain essential weather forecasting services.

The NWS is approaching this new hiring phase with a focus on ‘asymmetric’ staffing based on workload needs. This strategy may enable the agency to rehire some former employees who were displaced due to the cuts. As the Atlantic hurricane season heats up, the agency is preparing for an uptick in storm activity, including the monitoring of multiple systems in the ocean.