Several critical NOAA weather websites have disappeared due to early termination of Amazon Web Services contracts. The shutdown affects NOAA’s Office of Atmospheric Research, causing “100% unrecoverable data loss” for some sites. Weather forecasting accuracy, especially for hurricanes and tornadoes, is now compromised. Public safety concerns have prompted NOAA to extend contracts until July 31. This interruption impacts emergency responders, agriculture, and transportation industries that rely on accurate weather predictions. The implications extend beyond immediate forecasts.
Several essential weather websites run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have disappeared, threatening the nation’s ability to predict severe weather events. The shutdown affects sites connected to NOAA’s Office of Atmospheric Research, which provide vital data for weather forecasting and climate research.
The websites that went offline include NOAA Research, the Climate Program Office, and the National Severe Storms Laboratory. These sites power life-saving alerts and provide significant information about climate change, extreme weather, and drought monitoring.
The sudden disappearance of vital NOAA websites leaves the nation vulnerable, cutting access to critical climate and severe weather monitoring tools.
According to internal memos, the loss of cloud-based infrastructure will result in a “100% unrecoverable data loss” for some NOAA sites. This means important weather prediction tools and global climate research capabilities are now unavailable to scientists, government agencies, and the public.
The shutdown stems from the early termination of Amazon Web Services contracts due to federal budget cuts. The Trump administration directed NOAA to reduce its IT budget by 50%, severely impacting cloud services and operational networks. Staffing reductions of nearly 1,000 NOAA positions have further strained resources.
Weather experts warn that without these websites, forecasting accuracy will decrease, especially for severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes. The National Weather Service has already scaled back resources such as weather balloon launches, further compromising prediction quality.
The impacts extend beyond forecasting. Emergency responders and public safety officials rely on NOAA data for evacuation planning. Communities in disaster-prone areas face increased risks without accurate warnings.
Agriculture, transportation, and other weather-dependent industries could experience financial losses due to less reliable forecasts.
Programs like Sea Grant, which foster academic collaborations, now face interruptions in their research and information sharing. Universities working with NOAA may struggle to continue climate-related projects without access to real-time data.
The absence of these websites creates significant public safety concerns, as emergency preparation and disaster management agencies lose essential information sources needed to protect communities during hazardous weather events. After substantial social media protests, NOAA announced that its contract expiration has been extended until July 31, giving the agency time to develop a new solution.
