In Norman, scientists are working to significantly speed up tornado warnings while finding new paths to understanding deadly storms and protecting lives and property. A cooperative institute with more than 220 employees is studying ways to update weather radar facilities, investigate the dynamics of severe storms and more.
But the years-long research projects are at risk of termination under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) most recent budget estimate.
A document published Monday details the deep funding cuts to the nation’s leading weather and climate agency, which would result in the termination of the National Severe Storms Lab (NSSL) and the University of Oklahoma’s Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO).
StateImpact previously reported that the Trump administration sought to eliminate NOAA’s research arm, which includes the NSSL. The new budget is a detailed version of the passback document released in April. A request for comment from U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, went unanswered. U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin also did not respond.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sen. James Lankford said he would continue to monitor the budget request during the appropriations process.
“Senator Lankford believes NOAA and the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman do essential work in early detection, forecasting and research,” the spokesperson said in an email.
The latest plan states that a fraction of NSSL research funds would be funneled to the National Weather Service. It’s unclear whether the weather service would use the money for continued research or to cover operational costs.
Two large research projects led by the NSSL would be terminated. The Warn-on-Forecast is creating a system to increase tornado warning lead times, which are usually just a few minutes long. In 2024, the program resulted in a 75-minute lead for residents in Iowa.
The VORTEX USA project is a collaboration between meteorologists and social scientists to determine why tornadoes in the Southeast are more deadly than in other places. The program began in 2015, primarily developed by the NSSL.
“NOAA will evaluate options for supporting these specific activities within the NWS in the future,” the document reads.
Climate research and public information
The budget request would terminate funding for many organizations focused on climate, weather and oceans. In Norman, the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program works with communities on hazard mitigation plans. The documents are usually stepping stones to getting federal funds after a natural disaster.
The program, located within the National Weather Center, is funded by NOAA grants and would likely be eliminated under the budget proposal.
Climate change is widely targeted throughout the budget request to recenter the agency’s focus on weather, according to the document. But meteorologists say the cuts will likely also disrupt scientists’ understanding of naturally occurring weather patterns.
“By eliminating climate research, we're eliminating a lot of research that is separate from climate change and has direct societal benefits, like better understanding the El Niño, La Niña phenomenon, being able to understand how to make longer-range monthly to seasonal outlooks,” said Alan Gerard, meteorologist and former NSSL employee. “All of that benefits agriculture, benefits business.”
The news came the same day the website that hosts The National Climate Assessment shut down. The report includes details on how local communities are impacted by warming temperatures and other effects of human-caused climate change.
Both changes reflect the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate federally funded work on climate research.
The final budget will be decided by Congress, which has until the end of September to vote on the spending or provide interim funds for an extension.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the Warn-on-Forecast.
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