Trump's plan to shut down weather and climate center triggers lawsuit

Ars Technica
March 17, 2026
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2 min read

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The Bottom Line

Trump administration plan to shut down federal weather and climate center faces legal challenge.

How This Affects You

Loss of federal weather forecasting could reduce accuracy of severe weather warnings and climate data needed for agriculture, insurance, and disaster planning decisions.

AI Summary

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research sued the Trump administration Monday over plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, alleging the shutdown is motivated by political animus toward the state and its governor. The Office of Management and Budget's director labeled NCAR "woke" and "one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country" in December, prompting plans to break up the center and divvy up its assets, including its computing facilities and headquarters building. NCAR serves as a hub for over 130 educational institutions and employs hundreds of researchers and graduate students working on weather forecasting, climate science, and space weather research supported by two research aircraft and a supercomputing center. The lawsuit challenges the administration's authority to dismantle the federally funded center, which has long been central to U.S. atmospheric science research.

What's Being Done

A lawsuit has been filed challenging the executive action to close the facility.

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