As of April 2026, the NWS is undergoing significant operational and organizational shifts:
The NWS operates 122 local Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) that provide hyper-local data for communities across the U.S. and its territories. Their forecasting process involves three critical steps: The National Weather Service national weather service
: Following the loss of approximately 600 employees in 2025 due to federal workforce reductions—including roughly 100 probationary firings and 500 buyouts—the agency has been actively hiring. Over 200 new positions , including meteorologists, have been filled since late 2025 to ensure operational continuity. As of April 2026, the NWS is undergoing
: During government shutdowns, NWS, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) , and the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) are typically exempted as essential services, though research activities may be furloughed. As of April 2026
