12/17/25 8:45am: Had a rough night last night after hearing the news that the Trump administration plans on dismantling my beloved work NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) effective immediately (where I have spent my entire 25+ year career).
Feeling gutted and having a hard time coming up with the words this morning. I’ve tried not to be political in this group, but this is beyond the pale and if the plan goes through as the administration intends, this would have devastating impacts for my work, for myself personnelly and for this weather group. I’m really angry this morning.
The move to dismantle NCAR because we are supposedly a “woke” organization that does climate change research is beyond short-sighted, dangerous, ignorant and will have huge implications on U.S. public safety and modeling efforts. And this will put us behind all the other developed countries doing cutting edge atmospheric research and forecast development.
Climate change research is only a small part of what NCAR does. Here is list of of some of the critical weather forecast systems that are developed at NCAR
Forecast systems to predict turbulence when you are flying so that commercial airplanes don’t crash (both clear-sky turbulence and thunderstorm related hazards)
Forecast systems to predict in-flight icing (and ground related icing) so commercial airplanes don’t crash due to ice
Forecast systems to predict winter road weather hazards for both airports and DOT’s to help maintenance managers keep the roads (and runways) clear of snow and ice so folks can travel safely and not crash
Advanced forecast systems to predict renewable energy variables such as solar (GHI) and hub-height-wind-speed (for wind power) and these are critical systems that almost all energy providers rely on these days
Over the years NCAR has helped develop all of the modern, high-resolution forecast models, such as the WRF model, which is used within other forecast systems at NOAA to forecast snowfall, rain, hurricanes, flooding event, etc.. The WRF is the dynamical core for models like the HRRR, the RRFS, NAM, etc.
For me personally I lead the Denver Int. Airport Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) that gives accurate tactical and strategic forecast information to the airport so they can keep the runway clear of snow and ice. I also run projects that provide precision forecast data to private companies (in fact companies like Weather Channel and many others private forecast companies use these smart forecast system developed at NCAR).
And this is just the tip of the ice-berg.
Here was a statement put out by the president of UCAR (the governing body of NCAR) last night Tony: “NSF NCAR’s research is crucial for building American prosperity by protecting lives and property, supporting the economy, and strengthening national security. Any plans to dismantle NSF NCAR would set back our nation’s ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters. For an overview of how our research benefits the nation, visit our Research Works website.”
Now, I’m really hoping that they can’t just “dismantle” NCAR legally. NCAR is a federally funded research and development center, originally started by NSF, but now only gets about 30% of it funding from NSF. It is not run by the government what-so-ever. Its also not a White House managed agency like NOAA so the administration can’t simply order and shut it down….But sounds like they are go to try....
We need a huge push back against this right now. This is the time to call your Congress men and women and Senators and tell them this is completely unacceptable. It sounds like some lawsuits may be filed to stop this, but it is unclear.
Lastly, if I do ultimately lose my job at NCAR, I will also be dismantling the group as well…as I’ll have to look for new ways to make money / make a living.
This shit is insanity right now! Can’t believe it. Sorry. Maybe I'll have a weather update later.
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