Future of NOAA weather center at College Park unclear

Judy Baylor, a visitor from Columbia, listens as Bruce Sullivan, the lead meteorologist at the National Center for Environmental Prediction in College Park, explains how he arrives at forecasts using the tools at his desk. staff file

The future of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather center is unclear after efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to close the College Park facility were countered by an uproar from politicians and weather officials, according to a federal lawmaker and former senior NOAA official.

As part of its efforts to cut government spending, DOGE proposed not renewing the National Centers for Environmental Prediction’s lease in the Discovery District research park, near the University of Maryland. The NCEP provides weather forecasting for the National Weather Service, Air Force, Navy and Federal Aviation Administration.

But after the lease was threatened, there was “a pretty big outcry, including from some members of Congress, because of the critically important work NCEP does on life-threatening natural threats,” according to Andrew Rosenberg, a former deputy director at NOAA and co-editor of the SciLight policy newsletter who said he still has contact with the agency.

The negative attention surrounding the leases’ proposed cancellation led to the NCEP being removed from the list of NOAA buildings where leases could be terminated, Rosenberg said.

“Because of the reaction, there was an apparent pullback, and it isn’t entirely clear if the lease will continue or not,” Rosenberg said. “More importantly, it seems this is all happening without any clear analysis or even understanding of what these centers and programs do. Nor is there any clarity on what these centers’ plan going forward is.”

Officials with NOAA could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for the U.S. General Services Administration would not comment on the College Park facility.

“Acting Administrator [Stephen] Ehikian’s vision for GSA includes reducing our deferred maintenance liabilities, supporting the return to office of federal employees, and taking advantage of a stronger private/government partnership in managing the workforce of the future,” the spokesman said.

“GSA is reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization. A component of our space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases. To the extent these terminations affect public facing facilities and/or existing tenants, we are working with our agency partners to secure suitable alternative space. In many cases this will allow us to increase space utilization and obtain improved terms.”

About 825 people — including meteorologists, scientists and data managers who are all part of the NOAA organization — are employed at the 268,762-square-foot NCEP weather center in College Park according to the National Weather Service.

Brian Tang, an atmospheric scientist at University of Albany, said the NCEP is a hub for weather operations and computer modeling. He said the center is “absolutely critical” because so much of the nation’s economy is sensitive to weather. NCEP is where climatic, hydrologic, meteorological, space weather and oceanographic products are improved, run and disseminated.

“I’m particularly concerned about the loss of NOAA scientists that develop our next-generation weather models at NCEP,” Tang said. “Without that expertise, we are surrendering one of the huge advancements our nation has made in improving weather prediction, such as hurricane track and intensity forecasts. These advancements have netted a huge return on investment. It’s not something that we will get back easily or quickly.”

Other property leases are also in jeopardy, though the White House didn’t immediately confirm how many. For example, the lease for a NOAA radar development lab in Oklahoma is under threat of not being renewed, according to multiple reports.

Hundreds of weather forecasters and other NOAA employees were recently fired under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to the Associated Press. DOGE, which is headed by Elon Musk, is laying off about 10% of NOAA’s current workforce, including meteorologists in National Weather Service offices around the country, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Three former senior NOAA officials — two former political appointees from the Biden administration — who speak regularly with managers at their old agency used the same number for upcoming job cuts: 1,029, 10% of the current 10,290, according to the Associated Press.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat who has accused the Trump administration of overstepping its authority to downsize the federal government and rewrite priorities, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pressing for answers following the firings at NOAA and other bureaus of the department.

Van Hollen requested detailed information regarding these layoffs and how they will impact missions across the Department of Commerce, including the services NOAA provides.

“Let me be clear: going after NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction would threaten critical work that keeps Americans safe. Reports that the Administration is looking to get rid of this facility should alarm Republicans and Democrats alike,” Van Hollen said in a statement to The Baltimore Sun. “I’m demanding answers from Secretary Lutnick at once.”

Van Hollen wants to know who’s been terminated and to have an analysis done of the impact the terminations will have on department missions, including weather prediction capabilities, space situational awareness through the Office of Space Commerce and fisheries surveys, along with the fiscal costs of the terminations to the affected bureaus.

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