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PNS - Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - Putin agrees to limits on energy targets but not full Ukraine cease-fire; Indiana students fight bill blocking college IDs at polls; Consumer protection agency cuts put Coloradans at risk for predatory big banks; Iowa farmers push back on agriculture checkoff cuts.
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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issues short-term weather predictions and warnings in the United States and provides open-source historical climate data across the globe. As the Department of Government Efficiency talks about large-scale cuts to the agency, meteorologists and other scientists warn the impacts will be widespread. Comments by Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist and vice president for engagement, Climate Central; and David Dickson, TV engagement coordinator, Covering Climate Now.
Click on the image above for the audio. Red flag warnings and fire weather watches are the two main types of fire alerts the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association issues. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
March 18, 2025 - One of many federal agencies facing cuts by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists said it will threaten Americans' safety, especially in states with extreme weather events, including Montana.
NOAA employees are bracing for expected staffing cuts of up to 20%, or more than 1,000 jobs. Among other roles, NOAA's National Weather Service provides open-source weather data the majority of U.S. forecasters use, including for warnings and advisories.
Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist and vice president of engagement for Climate Central, said NOAA provides critical weather data.
"Because of NOAA data, we know when to evacuate ahead of storms, fires," Woods Placky explained. "We know when not to evacuate, which is also really critical because that saves a lot of money and a lot of time."
Other conditions NOAA data helps Montanans understand include avalanches, floods, high winds, air quality, red-flag warnings and extreme heat. Woods Placky added beyond short-term predictions, NOAA data helps farmers understand what to plant and when to harvest, especially as crop hardiness zones shift due to climate change.
NOAA's data on storm events and climate change dates back to 1950 and goes beyond U.S. borders. Woods Placky pointed out unstable governments can interrupt data gathering.
"When you get that gap in the data, it invalidates the long-term data sets," Woods Placky stressed. "You can't carry it with the same weight to tease out longer-term trends to keep people safe and prepared on longer-term shifts that we're seeing."
She added global groups use NOAA's data, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations.
David Dickson, TV engagement coordinator for the nonprofit Covering Climate Now, said while some have argued services NOAA offers could be privatized, the sentiment shows a misunderstanding.
"To argue against NOAA not being useful because we have private companies offering weather apps would be to argue against farmers because we have grocery stores," Dickson emphasized. "It really does fund the invisible backbone of virtually everything we consume."
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PNS - Tuesday, March 18, 2025 - Trump Administration fights a court order on deportation flights, as lawyers say the government is overreaching on expelling migrants, and NOAA cuts could spell trouble for those concerned about weather emergencies.
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PNS - Tuesday, March 18, 2025 - Judge in Alien Enemies Act case chides DOJ lawyer over refusal to answer key questions about deportations; National Park layoffs impact AR economy; Experts say cuts to NOAA could impact MT fire, weather warnings; Alarming violence rates continue against Indigenous women.
