California House Democrats asked the National Weather Service to resume some terminated workers on Friday and began hiring new forecasters after its all-weather offices in Sacramento and Hanford weather forecasting offices.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Laura Grimm, acting administrators of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 23 Congressional Democrats condemned the recent cuts to the Bureau, saying they represent the “starting of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences.” Meteorological Services is a division of NOAA that is supervised by the Department of Commerce.

"You ask you to immediately resume all termination workers in these offices, cancel the federal government recruitment of the NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are staffed enough to maintain 24/7 operations," the MP wrote.

More than 500 weather service workers left the agency after the Trump administration fired probation workers and provided early retirement to forecasters’ aging workforce. These cuts left 43% of the 122 weather forecast offices across the U.S. and staffing vacancies over 20%. Independent meteorologists say cuts may lead to less efficient forecasts and bad weather warnings. Public safety issues have become a political pressure point for the government.

The California Congressman wrote that the weather forecast offices in Hanford and Sacramento were particularly hit, leaving them no longer able to provide 24/7 staffing.

"The Sacramento office currently has seven vacancies, and of 16 positions, the Hanford office has eight out of 13 positions, and both offices operate with half the strength as we approach the peak of the wildfire season," the letter said. "If the NWS' weather forecast offices in Sacramento and Hanford jointly cover the entire Central Valley and cannot monitor overnight conditions, it would put our voters at risk."

The letter states that meteorological services often provide meteorologists with support for firefighters during wildfire season.

"It is a reckless and unnecessary risk and does not benefit the American public," the letter said. "It is unacceptable to half-formatize personnel in the office responsible for predicting wildfires, atmospheric rivers and natural disasters, putting thousands of lives at risk and nothing has been done to improve government efficiency."

NOAA, the Ministry of Meteorological Services and Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Weather Service’s Hanford office is located in the San Joaquin Valley, from the long-term Tulare Lake rebuilding the long-term Tulare Lake in 2023 after rebuilding a series of historic atmospheric river storms flooding the southern part of the Central California Valley.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Central Valley has about 40% fruit and nuts. Central Valley farmers rely on forecasts to decide on planting, irrigation and harvesting.

Meanwhile, Sacramento forecasters predict that the region faces an early start to the wildfire season this weekend, with wildfires rising.

Rep. Jim Costa, who represented part of the San Joaquin Valley that was making predictions from the Hanford office, organized a letter to the NOAA. Nancy Pelosi, Eric Swalwell and Zoe Lofgren are the other 22 signatories.

For months, pressure has been exacerbating government cuts on meteorological services.

External meteorologists condemned the cuts in weather balloon releases in about a dozen short-lived offices and said a missed balloon launch could help forecasters better understand the risks of tornadoes in thunderstorms in Omaha, Nebraska.

After the event, R-Neb. Rep. Mike Flood took steps to intervene with the government and temporarily allocated additional forecasts to offices near Omaha.

Earlier this month, five Weather Bureau directors warned that further cuts in the agency’s staffing could lead to unnecessary deaths.

"Our worst nightmare is that the weather forecast office will be so low that it will be unnecessarily killed," the former director wrote.

NOAA temporarily reassigns some staff to plug loopholes in its workforce and attempts to alleviate the shortage by permanently reallocating within the agency.

About two weeks ago, NOAA asked 76 meteorologists and a total of 155 employees to consider transfers to fill key roles.