Hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees on probationary status were fired Thursday, lawmakers and weather experts said. Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the country. Cuts at NOAA appeared to be happening in two rounds, one of 500 and one of 800, said Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist who said he got the information from someone with first-hand knowledge. That’s about 10% of NOAA’s workforce.

Other weather and natural resource agency layoff and resignation news:

• Los Angeles Times: Mass firings across National Weather Service, NOAA ignite fury among scientists worldwide
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Mass firings of probationary federal workers begin at NOAA, including many in Boulder
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): White River Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams resigns amid slashing of agency workforce
• Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): Colorado lawmakers fire back at Trump administration’s ‘reckless’ and ‘dangerous’ layoffs of over 3,400 Forest Service employees
• Boulder City Review (Colo.): NPS, BOR employees discuss layoffs
• SFGate: Forest Service chief, a former Bay Area resident, retires after thousands of layoffs