Was the National Weather Service in Hanford hit by DOGE layoffs? Here’s what we know
.JPG "Installations of The National Weather Service in Hanford on Sunday, June 25, 2023.")
Was the National Weather Service in Hanford spared from last week’s massive layoffs? Yes, it seems — at least for now.
The National Weather Service was targeted for mass layoffs last week by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency that led to hundreds of fired weather forecasters. The NWS forecast office in Hanford, which serves the San Joaquin Valley, remains staffed “at the same level,” according to an employee at the Hanford office who was not authorized to speak to media regarding the layoffs or staffing numbers. The employee referred questions to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the National Weather Service.
“Per long-standing practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters,” said Susan Buchanan, NWS public affairs in an email statement on Monday. “NOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the National Weather Service offices in Monterey, Oxnard and San Diego were hit by DOGE layoffs.
According to the Chronicle, the Monterey office had recently been assisting the office in Hanford, which was short-staffed already and down 50% of its typical staffing prior to the DOGE layoffs.
Buchanan did not say how many people are staffed the Hanford office.
The National Weather Service’s media contacts website included an update that, as of March 3, media outlets and journalists might experience “delays in responses to media inquiries and information request” due to “recent federal layoffs that affected NOAA media relations staff as well as subject-matter experts.”
According to news reports, the layoffs included not only weather forecasters, but also other federal NOAA employees who were on probationary status and on their jobs for a year or less. The layoffs are part of Musk’s push to downsize the federal government.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, termination notices sent to employees by email said that those who were fired were “not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and/or skill did not fit the Agency’s current needs.”
The Associated Press reported Thursday that the DOGE layoffs impacted about 10% of NOAA’s workforce.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 2:43 PM.
