One of the agency's partners, the American Meteorological Society, warned separately that "the consequences to the American people will be large and wide-ranging, including increased vulnerability to hazardous weather.

The American Meteorological Society said the federal cuts are "likely to cause irreparable harm." Alan Holt explains how NOAA models help inform everyday forecasts.

The cuts are fueling concerns that NOAA's ability to deliver lifesaving services, such as weather forecasting, storm warnings, climate monitoring and fishery oversight, will be hampered. The concerns are especially acute as hurricane and disaster season looms.

A hurricane modeling specialist fired from the National Weather Service said progress on forecast accuracy may "go backwards" if job cuts continue.