Some National Weather Service offices in California are among those hit hardest by meteorologist vacancies, according to new data from an employee union — heightening concerns as the state contends with another potentially devastating fire season and the ongoing threat of extreme weather. … Two of the nation’s weather forecast offices with the worst meteorologist vacancy rates are in California. They are the Hanford office, which covers the San Joaquin Valley, including Fresno and Bakersfield; and the Sacramento office, which also covers Stockton, Modesto, Vallejo, Chico and Redding. The offices are also responsible for the western Sierra Nevada. … Fall and winter bring their own mix of extreme weather whiplash, with some areas seeing extended perilous fire conditions just before the arrival of punishing rain, sudden landslides and deadly blizzards. 

Other NOAA and weather forecasting news:

• The Washington Post: NOAA was developing a way to predict extreme rainfall — until Trump officials stopped it
• The Boulder Reporting Lab (Colo.): House bill proposes smaller cuts to NOAA’s Boulder labs than Trump’s, but still seen as ‘drastic’
• The Washington Post: This is why there’s been so much extreme rainfall and flooding in the U.S.​