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NOAA Storm Prediction Center

U.S. federal government scientific agency

Owned byOwned by the U.S. federal government; operates under the National Weather Service (NWS), which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), itself an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce
FundingFunded entirely by federal appropriations allocated by Congress through the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations act; no advertising, subscriptions, or private revenue
On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

The Storm Prediction Center traces its origins to 1952, when the Severe Local Storms Unit (SELS) was established in Washington, D.C., to centralize severe thunderstorm and tornado forecasting. In 1966, the unit relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and was renamed the National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC). As part of a broader modernization of U.S. weather services tied to the deployment of the national Doppler radar network, the center was renamed the Storm Prediction Center in October 1995. It relocated to Norman, Oklahoma, in January 1997, co-locating with the National Severe Storms Laboratory. In 2006, the SPC moved into the newly constructed National Weather Center building on the University of Oklahoma's Research Campus. The center issues tornado and severe thunderstorm watches, mesoscale discussions, and convective outlooks that are used by emergency managers, broadcasters, and the public nationwide. Beginning in early 2025, the Trump administration's DOGE-driven austerity measures led to the termination of more than 1,000 NOAA employees—roughly 10 percent of the agency's workforce—and the SPC's Norman facility appeared on a DOGE list of planned office closures, though local officials said the lease closure was subsequently walked back. The administration's FY2026 budget proposal sought to cut NOAA's overall funding by roughly 27 to 40 percent, raising concerns among meteorologists and emergency management professionals about the SPC's long-term capacity.

Sources

  1. Storm Prediction Center – Wikipedia
  2. A Brief History of the Storm Prediction Center – SPC/NOAA
  3. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center facility among planned DOGE cuts – ABC News
  4. Cuts to NOAA increase the risk of deadly weather tragedies – Yale Climate Connections
  5. The Lasting Threat of Trump's Cuts to NOAA and NWS – Center for American Progress
  6. DOGE Cuts at NOAA, Explained – The Dispatch
  7. NOAA FY2026 Budget Request and Appropriations – Congress.gov CRS
  8. National Centers for Environmental Prediction – NWS

Profile compiled 2026-08-12; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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