Elon Musk’s DOGE layoffs hit California National Weather Service employees
By Anthony EdwardsJack Lee,
2025-02-27
Large federal workforce firings began at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday, including National Weather Service employees in California.
At least one California weather service office was impacted by the layoffs, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke to the Chronicle on condition of anonymity without authorization to speak publicly. The person was granted anonymity in accordance with the Chronicle’s sourcing policies .
According to U.S. House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, hundreds of NOAA scientists were being terminated. Employees were told terminations would go into effect Thursday evening.
“People nationwide depend on NOAA for free, accurate forecasts, severe weather alerts and emergency information,” Huffman said. “Purging the government of scientists, experts and career civil servants and slashing fundamental programs will cost lives.”
The scope of the firings “transcends virtually all the job descriptions in NOAA,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, during a briefing Thursday. Swain described cuts affecting experts in the fisheries division, hydrologists and the scientists who build and maintain the American weather model.
Some NOAA offices could lose up to 25% of their staff, according to a person familiar with the matter. The exact number of NOAA scientists terminated was not immediately clear.
The layoffs were ordered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and are part of a larger push to downsize the federal science agency.
While most of the fired employees appeared to be new hires with less than two years of experience, some veteran NOAA workers feared their jobs may also be threatened.
“At any time in my 30-plus year career … this is the first time I actually have some concern about not having a job in six months to a year, or having the agency really downsized overall,” the California weather service meteorologist said. The employee spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The National Weather Service budget is roughly $1.4 billion , about $4 for the average taxpayer.
According to a 2024 report , weather service forecasts provide an estimated benefit of $102.1 billion to the U.S. public, a return of $73 for every dollar invested, weather service director Ken Graham said during the American Meteorological Society meeting in January.
The National Weather Service also provides forecasts to emergency management departments across the country. San Francisco’s department receives forecasts from the weather service office in Monterey.
“The National Weather Service serves a vital role to (San Francisco) — helping inform the Department of Emergency Management’s preparedness, response and recovery plans,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. “As we continue to navigate an uptick in unpredictable weather and climate patterns, now more than ever, having a direct line to a well-staffed, functional National Weather Service is a life safety issue for all San Franciscans.”
Swain also noted the agency’s critical role in public safety during a February briefing , highlighting that operations run continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Even a temporary interruption of these services would have cascading effects that would very likely result in the deaths of Americans who otherwise would not have died in extreme weather events,” Swain said. “The stakes are high.”
Reach Anthony Edwards: anthony.edwards@sfchronicle.com . Reach Jack Lee: jack.lee@sfchronicle.com
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