The National Weather Service is working to hire back hundreds of positions laid off or otherwise cut by the Trump administration, but it’s progressing at a snail’s pace, forcing many offices to continue to cope with vacancies that could affect winter forecasts.

The agency received permission in late July to add a total of 450 people after about 550 were cut by DOGE earlier this year. The decision to authorize new hires came after lawmakers and citizens expressed concerns about how the NWS cuts would impact public safety.

“They’re not really using AI, they’re not really driving efficiency. What they’re doing is smashing everything,” the former official said.

In a cabinet meeting, Elon Musk appeared to dramatically lower DOGE's savings goal.