CIRES scientists at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Lab (GML) in Boulder produce some of the most critical atmospheric data on Earth. Due to a federal funding pause at the agency, that work — and the positions of the people who do it — is now at risk.
Learn what GML does and why it matters ⬇️
BIG, EXCITING NEWS!
Dr. Kate Marvel @drkatemarvel.bsky.social -- world-leading climate scientist and author -- is coming to Project Drawdown after leaving NASA.
She will be a Senior Scientist, leading an exciting new initiative on "Emergency Brake" climate solutions.
drawdown.org/news/world-r...
screenshot of a resignation letter expressing sadness at leaving NASA
My resignation letter
UCS' @carlonimbus.bsky.social provides the latest on the Trump Administration's dismantlement of NCAR, and how we can use our voices to save it, together.
Learn more: act.ucsusa.org/3Pk1He5
I found this particularly striking: yesterday broke the *global* high temperature record count. So despite this event only occurring in the western US, it still was record-breaking global for total number of records. This database only goes back to 2010, though.
two images describing the March heat wave, left a map showing temperature anomalies, right, the seasonal cycle and the anomalies this year
March in Western North America is deadly hot, completely above temperatures that would have been possible without climate change from burning oil, coal and gas. New record shatteringly rapid @wwattribution.bsky.social study www.worldweatherattribution.org/record-shatt...
“If O’Neill is confirmed as NSF’s director, the Trump administration will further tighten its control over an agency created by Congress to be independent in its work to advance science.” UCS’s Julian Reyes explains why the Senate should work to block this nomination:
UCS filed Freedom of Information Act requests to the NSF to publicly release all of its communications about its plans to restructure the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). “NCAR represents one of the most successful models of federally supported scientific infrastructure in the US.”
Breaking: UCAR filed a lawsuit today against several federal agencies and their directors, alleging that “The Agencies’ ultimate apparent goal is to destroy NCAR entirely.”
eos.org/research-and...
Breaking: UCAR @ncar-ucar.bsky.social has filled a lawsuit against the US Federal Government regarding NCAR.
news.ucar.edu/133061/ucar-...
This should be the biggest weather and climate news on your radar today.
You can send an email today to say why dismantling NCAR is a bad idea for everyone: NSF_NCAR@nsf.gov
“It feels rushed,” UCS’s @carlonimbus.bsky.social told @nytimes.com regarding the NSF process to dismantle NCAR, one of the world’s leading climate & weather labs. “I question whether the public comment period is of good faith,” added Dr. Martinez, a former postdoctoral researcher at the center.
Our response: s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/files.ucs.or....
And folks have until March 13th to submit public comments. We strongly urge everyone to submit comments on keeping ALL of NCAR intact.
@ucs.org (I and @marc-alessi.bsky.social on behalf of UCS) have submitted our public comment to the National Science Foundation about its intent to restructure the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) @ncar-ucar.bsky.social
We are very concerned (no pun intended) by this intent.
Page 2 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: constructive suggestions regarding how the already remarkable institutional efficiency and societal impact of NCAR could be further enhanced through increased (not decreased) federal support in the years to come. Please note: To ensure the highest level of technical rigor, this response focuses exclusively on the core atmospheric and natural hazard science topics within the author’s primary domain of expertise; for this reason, I have omitted a response to Topic 4 (Space Weather)." NCAR weather modeling and atmospheric observing capabilities a) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as a stand-alone activity. The proposed management of weather-related research as a stand-alone activity is a scientifically regressive path that ignores the fundamental physical reality of the Earth system. Modern atmospheric science has demonstrated (largely, it is worth noting, due to groundbreaking researc
Page 3 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: b) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as combined with other NSF investments/facilities. The highly specialized nature of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) infrastructure represents an extraordinary value proposition that cannot be replicated by combining it with more generalized NSF programs. The NWSC is not a generic high-performance computing (HPC) facility; it is a laboratory uniquely optimized for atmospheric science workflows, with a hardware and storage architecture specifically designed to handle the massive, high-bandwidth data demands of Earth system modeling. Furthermore, its model of providing an excellent, free-at-point-of-use technical support team ensures that the focus remains on the science rather than the overhead of systems administration. This centralized expertise allows individual researchers, smaller labs, and even entire universities—who would otherwi
Page 4 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: NCAR Mesa Lab (located in Boulder, Colorado) a/b) Ownership of the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building for public and private use. Far more than just an office building, NSF NCAR Mesa Lab is an iconic and purpose-built facility designed specifically for the study of atmospheric science. Its position at the physical interface of the Rocky Mountain foothills and the Great Plains is a deliberate reflection of its mission, serving as a visible symbol—in an iconically American setting—of the federal government's enduring commitment to science in service of society. For many in the field, including myself, the Mesa Lab holds singular importance as a focal gathering point for the global atmospheric science community. My own early career exposure to weather and Earth system modeling, in fact, occurred within these walls, and I have long felt that the facility’s architecture and location inspire a necessary sense of awe regarding the atmosphere’s complexity a
Page 1 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: Dear Acting Director Stone and the NSF NCAR restructuring team: I am writing to provide a formal response to the Request for Information (RFI) regarding the proposed restructuring of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and its critical weather science infrastructure contained within the January 23, 2026 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) entitled “NSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure.” I submit these comments in my professional capacity as an atmospheric research scientist within the University of California, where my research focuses on the physics and dynamics of atmospheric processes related to extreme weather events and their role in shifting natural hazard and disaster risk. My perspective is informed by a public-sector career dedicated to bridging the gap between fundamental atmospheric research and real-world application in an academic context, with a particular focus on understanding and mitigating
I just submitted my letter to NSF responding to its proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). I argue that doing so would be an astonishing and avoidable misstep, and that federal support for the institution should in fact be *increased.* [1/4]
No rational justification for dismantling the center has been offered," writes UCS President & CEO @gretchentg.bsky.social of plans to restructure @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.
The Trump administration plans to dismantle NSF’s National Center for Atmospheric Research, potentially closing its main lab in Boulder.
UCS's @carlonimbus.bsky.social explains how NCAR keeps us safe and how you can help protect it.
Take action: act.ucsusa.org/4ceWei9
Hillside wildfire with flames and smoke near residential area with several houses. Photo credit: FEMA
Our researchers have compiled the first nationwide inventory of emissions from structure fires in the wildland-urban interface. The inventory lays the groundwork for communities to be more prepared for and resilient to the impacts of smoke. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4rOBgeu
Great piece out today in Physics Today on historical origins, contemporary relevance, & fundamental irreplaceability of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which remains at imminent risk of dismantling for partisan political reasons.
On a busy day for science policy, it looks like oversight and operations of NCAR’s supercomputing center are transitioning to a third-party operator. www.nsf.gov/news/transit...
Lean more about the costs of dismantling NCAR with this opinion from @carlonimbus.bsky.social.
NSF has announced that they will officially transfer @ncar-ucar.bsky.social supercomputer to a third-party manager.
www.nsf.gov/news/transit...
Today, Administrator Zeldin took a chainsaw to the Endangerment Finding, undoing this long-standing, science-based finding on bogus grounds at the expense of our health.
Sharing my thoughts w/ ABC News about the challenges of the Winter Olympics w/ our warming climate.
I also want to highlight the worsening snow drought in the US West. 75% of its water supply comes from snow that melts in spring. Could be a big water scarcity issue.
abcnews.go.com/Internationa...
Share your feedback on the future of NCAR Provide feedback to shape the future of NCAR by 13 March.
Last week, NSF released a Dear Colleague Letter seeking input on restructuring critical weather infrastructure housed at NCAR. Your feedback is critical to shape the future of NCAR. Our tool makes it easy to submit comment today: agu.quorum.us/campaign/154...
Excellent Toolkit by @agu.org on responding to the NSF Dear Colleague Letter regarding NCAR. #SaveNCAR. Please Share!
As the Trump administration targets NCAR, scientists rally to defend the ‘mothership’ of atmospheric research www.cpr.org/2026/01/28/s... #copolitics
Description of AMS event with Union of Concerned Scientists from 12:45pm-1:45pm CT
At #AMS2026? Join me at the AMS Booth at 12:45PM CT today to learn more about ways to get involved in Science Advocacy! @ucs.org
"NCAR is not just another research center. It is purpose-built critical infrastructure designed to integrate observations, modeling, supercomputing, and applied research in ways that no single university, agency, or contractor can replicate on its own."
