US Weather Forecasts Worsen

The United States — National Weather Service is eliminating or reducing vital weather balloon launches in 11 northern United States locations, including Omaha, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota, and reducing frequency in others like Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Albany, New York. This decision follows massive job cuts, with hundreds of United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration workers fired by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. Meteorologists and former agency leaders, including D. James Baker, Renee McPherson, Ryan Maue, and Elbert Friday, warn that these cuts will degrade the accuracy of weather forecasts, especially as the severe weather season approaches. Weather balloons provide unique atmospheric data essential for forecasting severe storms and rainfall, which cannot be obtained by satellites or ground measurements alone. The reductions are particularly problematic in the northern United States, where the jet stream is active this time of year.