U.S. climate forecaster to be absorbed in weather agency reshuffle

The U.S. climate forecasting service will be absorbed into other federal departments as part of a re-organization announced to staff Thursday.

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center – which issues long-range forecasts and seasonal hurricane outlooks – will be folded into other agencies overseen by the National Weather Service, said a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.

No layoffs or staff relocations are expected to result from the shift, according to documents viewed by Bloomberg News.

The weather service confirmed the merger of the climate center with the Weather Prediction Center is being planned. The reorganization was first proposed in 2023 as part of a streamlining plan and the aim is to create an entity that can create forecasts across all timescales from days to months, the weather service said in an emailed statement.

The changes come after a tumultuous year at the weather service, which operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Commerce. President Donald Trump’s administration has taken multiple steps to dismantle climate science programs and defund key research.

Hundreds of weather service staffers accepted early retirement incentives or exit programs offered as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to shrink the federal government.

The union that represents National Weather Service staff reported severe workforce shortages in the months that followed. As a result, the agency moved to rehire some staff, posting dozens of positions through exemptions to a federal hiring freeze.