As NOAA faces staff cuts, one scientist argues its weather data is invaluable

In The NoCo

As NOAA faces staff cuts, one scientist argues its weather data is invaluable

By In The NoCo,

Published March 6, 2025 at 5:35 AM MST

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A woman stands among a crowd holding up a sign that reads, "NOAA SAVES LIVES." — President Donald Trump announced the termination of hundreds of jobs at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently, sparking protests including one in Boulder. People, like Caroline Bruce (pictured here), held signs and chanted.

The Trump administration announced recently it鈥檚 terminating hundreds of jobs at the . The announcement sparked protests, including one in Boulder in which NOAA supporters and employees took part.

The threat of layoffs at NOAA also led our guest to write the organization does.

is an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado who works closely with, and has her work funded by, NOAA. Before working at CU, she spent 11 years as a meteorologist for the , which is part of NOAA.

Bowen argues that even if you don鈥檛 know what NOAA does, you might miss NOAA鈥檚 services if they鈥檙e slashed or privatized. She says NOAA, and the data from its weather satellites, are something many of us use every day.

A woman with long brown hair wears a blue shirt and smiles for the camera. — Kari Bowen is a Scientific and Administrative Manager at Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder (CIRES).

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In The NoCo National Weather Service (NWS)University of Colorado (CU)Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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As the host of KUNC鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS 暗黑爆料hour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University鈥檚 NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family鈥檚 financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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