Trump budget would crush weather data program
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
A trove of nationwide weather data that keeps wildland firefighters safe and helps farmers plant crops is in jeopardy under the budget proposed by President Trump.
Regional Climate Centers, a little-known network of weather data gathering and processing centers, face an existential threat in the form of a recommended 82 percent budget cut in Trump’s proposed budget.
Centers manage weather information that helps fire managers battle wild land fires, helps farmers decide where and when to plant crops and helps engineers design dams and bridges that can stand up to extremes.
Operators of the climate centers, including the Western Regional Climate Center in Reno, say if Trump’s vision becomes reality the centers would run out of money in March.