The Seattle Times Claims About the Termination of the National Weather Service Are False

 The Seattle Times ClimateLab stories are often sloppy and incorrect, with the article in today's paper a good example of poor journalism, with politicized, error-filled claims.

The headline on a front page story today asks whether "this story is a goodbye to the National Weather Service..."?

Then it describes a potentially last visit to the National Weather Service before Trump and MAGA

Haven't got the point yet?    Then read into the story.

So the claim is that the Trump folks are closely following the Project 2025 document, which calls for ending NOAA and sending NWS forecast functions to the private sector.

Want it even clearer?  The Seattle Times article then quotes an article in the Atlantic discussing "the MAGA plan to end free weather reports"

The Big Problem with the Seattle Times Story

The essential problem with the story is that NONE OF IT IS TRUE.

False, unsupported claims, that are overtly pushing a partisan viewpoint.

Stronger words would be appropriate, but I will leave those to others.

Consider some facts.

Fact 1:  No National Weather Service office has been terminated.

Fact 2:  No change in National Weather Service  (NWS) products has been made or proposed.

Fact 3:  President Trump explicitly denied that he follows Project 2020 plans and has explicitly rejected it.  

Let me say this again....President Trump has explicitly stated he does not support Project 2025.  He said it presents thoughts of the far right.  NOT HIS. 

Fact 4:  The new head of the Department of Commerce (Howard Lutnick),  the department to which NOAA and the NWS belong, has explicitly stated that he will not eliminate NOAA or the NWS.

Don't believe me?  Check out this AXIOS article.

Lutnick stated he would maintain the NWS in his testimony in the U.S. Senate.

Fact 5:  I have talked to folks in the new administration.  They have made it clear that there is no agenda to get rid of NOAA or the NWS.

Disappointing "Journalism"

The author of this story, Erik Lacitis, called me up when he was writing the article.   I told him the facts. I have a deep knowledge of the situation in the NOAA and the NWS, having served on several advisory committees and having written several papers on the situation.  

Yet, even given the facts, the author produced this clearly incorrect article.  Very disappointing.   

The Trump Administration Has Not Done Well So Far with NOAA/NWS

Finally, let me be clear. 

 The Trump administration has made several serious mistakes, such as firing probationary NOAA/NWS employees and then having to rehire them.  The Trump folks don't seem to have a logical game plan for understanding what needs to be fixed in NOAA and then doing something about it.

NOAA has deep flaws that need to be addressed.    This administration needs to reach out to those who understand the issues and have ideas about how to fix them.  

Can you plant your seeds yet?

 This time of the year, I start thinking about my vegetable garden and whether the soil is warm enough to plant some seeds.

Certainly, the weeds have started to sprout and grow.

So let's check with our friends at the AgWeatherNet at Washington State University.

Below is the latest soil temperature at 2 inches down.  Lower to mid-50s in western Washington and 50s to lower 60s in eastern Washington.    The warmest soil is around Yakima, which is typical.

I sometimes muse about why the Yakima area is so warm.  Yakima is in the sinking zone southeast of the Cascades, with the sinking air warming by compression and reducing any clouds.   Fewer clouds means more warming solar radiation.  You can see the effect today at noon (see visible image below).

The SNAP satellite can measure soil temperature from space....here is a view of the entire West Coast three days ago.  Nice and warm soils in California and southern Nevada, with the Yakima to Tri-Cities area the warmest in the NW.

Consider the plot of 2-inch soil temperature at Seattle (near the Urban Horticulture Center at the UW).  Soil temperatures had dropped into the 30s back in February during our extended cold period, but it is now just about 50°F.  It was around 60°F in mid-October.

Now, back to the big question: what seeds can we plant now? 

 Considering the following table, there are plenty of vegetable seeds that can be started now, particularly the leafy veggies.  But not beans, squash, and melons, which require warm soil.  

Time to get working!

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Announcement

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