February 13, 2026 – As part of its plan to restructure the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the country’s premier weather and climate research institution, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced yesterday that it will transfer operation of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputer Center to a yet unknown third party. The supercomputer supports over 4,000 researchers across 575 universities.
Although NSF has instructed NCAR to coordinate with the new managing body to maintain uninterrupted services for the research community, its separation from NCAR will limit its research capabilities. This news follows the Trump Administration’s announcement that it intends to dismantle NCAR.
“The transfer of the NCAR-Wyoming supercomputer to a third party is not a routine administrative decision, but a move that risks undermining the backbone of U.S. weather and climate prediction,” said Dr. Carlos Martinez, a senior climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “This supercomputer powers the models that predict hurricanes, severe storms, heatwaves, and floods, helping scientists improve forecasts and climate projections that communities and decision-makers rely on to protect lives and livelihoods. It is unfortunate that NSF did not give the public and broader scientific community an opportunity to speak on the value of keeping the supercomputer at NCAR and announced the transition without identifying the new operator. The lack of transparency around the timeline and selection process is deeply concerning.”