Congress is proposing millions in cuts, could impact forecasts across the country

WHITE LAKE, Mich. (WXYZ) - The National Weather Service is facing massive funding cuts that could impact forecasters throughout the country.

In the Republican controlled House lawmakers are proposing a 30-percent cut to the NWS’ budget for 2011 – that amounts to more than $125 million.

The federal budget generally allocates $800 to $900 million annually for NWS operating expenses.

Experts say the lack of funding will affect the maintenance of monitoring installations and radar equipment. It would also likely mean fewer staffers to read and analyze data.

Meteorologists for TV, radio and web would be affected too because they use NWS equipment to formulate their forecasts. Because of that blizzards, tornadoes and hurricanes may be harder to predict.

If the cuts do go through they would take effect in March.