On May 6, 2025, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will decommission its snow and ice data products and will reduce the level of service for affected products. According to the announcement, the reduction will leave the datasets accessible, but they “may not be actively maintained, updated, or fully supported.”
The datasets provide critical insight into the extent and thickness of sea ice, snow accumulation, and glacial melt, and are used by researchers to monitor climate change. The NSIDC Sea Ice Index, in particular, has documented the steady decline in sea ice cover since 1978 and is used to communicate the growing impact of climate change to the public. The datasets also have vital operational uses in weather prediction, commercial fisheries management, and national security.
Update: The Department of Defense (DOD) informed climate scientists it would be “deprioritizing” access to data from the weather satellites it operates, and that operational support for the equipment will end after September 2025.