The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a major climate science institution based in Colorado that has played a key role in weather and climate research for over six decades.
Earlier this month, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement that NCAR is “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country,” and framed the decision as part of a broader effort to redirect federal resources.
A Scientific Institution Under Threat
Founded in 1960, NCAR has long been considered one of the world’s premier centers for atmospheric science.
It supports more than 800 staff and houses major scientific infrastructure, including supercomputers and research aircraft.
Its work has underpinned both short-term weather forecasting and long-term climate projections used across the globe.
“NCAR is a really historic institution in our field,” said Kim Cobb, a climate scientist and director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, during a PBS NewsHour segment hosted by William Brangham.
“Over that time, it has really woven itself into the fabric of both weather and climate science across the country and around the world.”
Cobb emphasized that NCAR’s contributions span a wide range, from public safety to economic planning.
“We’re talking about unique, one-of-a-kind facilities… and, most importantly, a staff of over 800 people who are at the top of their game in innovating in weather and climate science for public good.”
Tools That Save Lives
Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist at MyRadar, described NCAR as the birthplace of many critical tools used in modern meteorology.
“That’s where we first learned about the MJO, the Madden-Julian Oscillation… It’s where we first created a special product used by airplanes when they’re landing to avoid wind shear… They invented a system there to prevent that.”
He also pointed to other breakthroughs: “That’s where dropsondes were invented, those little probes that are dropped out of the belly of airplanes in the middle of hurricanes to figure out how strong the hurricanes are.”
Both Cobb and Cappucci said dismantling NCAR would result in serious consequences for both science and public safety.
A Focus on Climate Research
Cobb said the administration is specifically targeting the climate research side of NCAR’s work.
“The administration has made clear that it’s the climate portion of the portfolio which they are taking squarely in aim. And, of course, that is the portion that is right.”
She noted that 2025 is on track to tie for the second-warmest year on record and emphasized that NCAR’s research is essential to understanding the growing risks linked to a changing climate.
“These are innovations that are going to reap absolutely untold dividends through time.”
Politicization of Science?
The administration’s justification has drawn criticism from many in the scientific community.
Cappucci pushed back strongly against the idea that NCAR’s work is ideological.
“Truth be told, no. The atmosphere does not possess a voter registration card. I think it’s important to remember that scientists do science.”
He warned that the move fits a troubling pattern. “It worries me, though, that this fits into an overall pattern of the demonization of both science and academia, the idea that we’re trying to shut down science that produces results we don’t like.”
Cobb added that the public increasingly understands the stakes.
“Most Americans get it right now. In the headlines every year are these horrific climate-fueled disasters that have taken such a toll on communities and our national economy.”
Breaking Up NCAR
Vought stated that the administration plans a “systematic review” of NCAR’s work and that critical research could be done elsewhere.
But experts are skeptical that key functions could be replicated so easily.
Cappucci said this approach echoes earlier missteps. “It seems like just a year ago, they were cutting a huge chunk of National Weather Service forecasters. And then after they were laid off, the government realized, oh, wait, we kind of need them and brought them back.”
He called the NCAR decision “another really short-sighted decision made by the administration without realizing or fully researching the potential implications of what could happen.”
Cappucci also noted that weather and climate issues don’t fall along political lines.
“You’re much more likely to be hit by a tornado or hurricane in a red state. And so I’m surprised by sort of Trump and his administration doing something that could potentially have negative impacts on his own core audience and following.”
Cobb warned that once NCAR is broken up, reassembling it won’t be easy.
“Once you break something like this, it’s really going to be hard to put it back together again. That’s my concern.”
As of now, the future of NCAR remains uncertain, but scientists across the country are voicing serious concerns over what they see as a deeply damaging move to the future of atmospheric research in the United States.