North Little Rock, Arkansas – The National Weather Service (NWS) office in North Little Rock is scaling back some of its operations following nationwide staffing reductions. In an email sent Friday to its core partners, the agency confirmed that it is permanently discontinuing two services: the Hazardous Weather Outlook and Agricultural Observations.
The Hazardous Weather Outlook, a product that provided text-based alerts for potential weather hazards over the coming week, is being phased out in favor of a newer, graphic-based format still in development. The Agricultural Observations, once a daily weather report tailored to the needs of farmers, has also been retired.
According to Jimmy Barham, meteorologist-in-charge at the North Little Rock office, both services had become outdated and were receiving little public engagement. He noted that many users now turn to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) rather than the NWS website for weather alerts.
“A lot of times when we turn these old archived products off, we don’t get a single phone call,” Barham said in an interview.
The changes come as the National Weather Service, under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), grapples with a significant loss of personnel. An Associated Press report earlier this week revealed that hundreds of jobs have been cut across the agency. Nearly half of NWS’s 122 field offices have seen staffing drop by at least 20%, and several are no longer staffed 24/7. Many veteran forecasters and managers have opted for early retirement.
Barham acknowledged that the North Little Rock office has lost staff this year but declined to give specifics. While the office is officially listed as having 21 positions, not all of them are currently filled. Still, he said the team is maintaining around-the-clock coverage.
“We’ve had a reduction in staff kind of throughout the spring,” he said. “Where we’re at now is kind of where we’ve been since April.”
He stressed that the office’s ability to issue severe weather alerts, watches, and warnings remains unchanged.
“We’ll continue to fulfill our core mission of protecting life and property. During major weather events, we’ll always have the staff we need.”
The Little Rock weather office, which opened in 1874, became a forecast center in 1971, taking over statewide forecasting responsibilities from Memphis. The Weather Bureau, as it was originally known, was founded in 1870 and became the National Weather Service in the late 1960s.
In a statement, NOAA spokesperson Erica Grow Cei said the agency is working to address staffing gaps by sending in temporary help and posting job openings in offices most in need — despite a hiring freeze across the department.
“The National Weather Service continues to meet its core missions and is taking steps to prioritize critical research and services that keep the American public safe and informed,” she said.
Besides discontinuing the Hazardous Weather Outlook and Agricultural Observations, additional service adjustments took effect Saturday, July 13.
Twice-daily weather balloon launches will now occur at 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., rather than 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., to ensure that more staff are available during the launch — especially important since the balloons are filled with hydrogen.
The office has also suspended all public outreach efforts, including SKYWARN storm spotter training.
The Area Forecast Discussion, previously issued twice a day, will now go out only once daily at 1 a.m., with updates issued only for major shifts in the weather pattern. Aviation weather discussions will continue to be released with every Terminal Aerodrome Forecast update.
Climate data will be generated only once a day at midnight, with the intermediate afternoon run continuing in automated form.
Graphicast images, which provide visually enhanced weather briefings, will now be created only for significant weather events.
Other regional offices have made similar adjustments. The Shreveport, Louisiana, office — which covers nine counties in southwest Arkansas — made service reductions last month. Despite the changes, meteorologist-in-charge Brad Bryant emphasized that the office remains staffed 24/7.
“There will be no change to our operating hours. A meteorologist can always be reached 24/7/365,” he said in a message to partners.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the NWS oversees seven counties in northwest Arkansas, meteorologist Mike Lacy said that while their office also saw a 20% staffing drop, services haven’t been affected, thanks in part to a larger team.
Barham hopes the public won’t notice the difference in day-to-day operations.
“We’ll still be here around the clock. Our watches and warnings will still go out. We’ll increase staffing during severe weather just like always,” he said.
“Hopefully, our public, partners and stakeholders don’t even notice the difference. But we do feel a responsibility to let people know when we’re making changes, and that’s why we sent out the email.”
